Mappleborough and Winyates Green Pre-School.

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a highly inclusive and supportive learning environment for all children. On arrival, children are greeted warmly by their key person. This helps to form close relationships. Children develop a strong sense of connection and belonging. Staff support children to explore the environment and choose how they want to spend their time.

Staff never miss an opportunity to praise children's positive behaviour. As a result of this, children respond positively to staff and their peers. Staff encourage children to develop their social interaction skills as they eat together. Staff talk to children about the foods they have in their lunch boxes. They encourage children to eat their savoury items first. This helps children to understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

Leaders and staff support children's awareness of their local community. For example, they create opportunities for children to visit the local allotment and talk to the allotment keepers. Children get involved in growing and harvesting fruit. In addition to this, staff organise visitors to the setting. This helps to extend children's experiences. For example, children are delighted when local police officers visit and invite them to sit in the police vehicle.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Leaders work together highly effectively. This ensures a cohesive approach to supporting and developing the staff team. Staff are clear about their role and responsibilities. They report that they feel valued and well supported in the setting. Communication across the team is clear. This helps to consistently drive improvement.
• Leaders have developed a strong and interesting curriculum. They purposefully involve staff members in planning. When children start attending, key persons gather information from parents. They use this to plan for children's learning. However, occasionally, staff do not ensure that continuous provision opportunities meet the developmental needs of younger children. This can limit their involvement in play.
• Leaders pay close careful attention to the needs of children in their care. They develop strong working relationships with external agencies and professionals. High levels of commitment from the staff team ensure that children receive appropriate support promptly. This contributes to all children reaching their potential.
• Staff skilfully support children's communication and language development. They create numerous opportunities for children to interact and develop their conversational skills. Staff listen carefully to children and offer them time to think and speak. Younger children learn about the daily routine. They respond positively to gentle encouragement and praise from staff members.
• Staff have high expectations of all children. They support them in carrying out tasks for themselves. For example, staff encourage children to clear away their snacks by putting leftovers in the bin and placing their plates in the bowl for washing. Children persevere in putting on their wet weather gear when preparing for forest play sessions. Staff adjust their levels of support to enable children to achieve self-care tasks.
• Outdoor learning experiences are excellent. Children benefit from numerous opportunities to explore the world around them. Sensory play underpins the outdoor curriculum. Staff plan stimulating learning opportunities. For example, children eagerly create potions using coloured water and fresh flowers. They develop strong hand-eye coordination as they scoop, pour and funnel water using varied tools and equipment. Children learn to take turns and share resources.
• Older children become highly engaged in story and song time. They delight in making animal noises as staff skilfully share books with them. However, staff do not consistently ensure that group time meets the needs of younger children who are still developing their listening and attention skills.
• Parents speak positively of the setting. They appreciate the nurturing and professional relationships that staff develop with their children. Parents are well informed about children's development. They enjoy the detailed information they receive at the end of the day. Parents state that their children make strong progress as a result of attending the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• evaluate the continuous provision to ensure that younger children can access all learning opportunities
• reflect on the organisation and timing of group sessions to support younger children to have a more positive experience.