Masons Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and are warmly welcomed by staff. This helps them to feel safe and secure. They leave their parents confidently and are excited and eager to explore the broad range of interesting activities and resources. Overall, staff have high expectations for all children. For example, children concentrate as they sort toys into their matching colours. They confidently use knives and learn how to cut their fruit in half. Children develop their early mathematical skills. They are making good progress and developing well. Children enjoy free-flow access between the inside and outside environments. They explore nature and extend their own thoughts and ideas as they play.

Staff support children to safely take risks. For instance, children delight in climbing trees and learn how to manoeuvre around the garden using a range of different bicycles. Children show kindness to their friends in this inclusive pre-school. They are aware of the impact of their behaviour on others. Children listen to instructions and behave well. They relish the opportunity to watch the changes in the live caterpillars as they grow and develop. Children confidently describe how the caterpillars will change into butterflies. This helps to build on their understanding of life cycles.

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

• Parents speak very positively about the pre-school. They appreciate the caring and supportive staff. The ambitious manager and staff keep parents up to date. For instance, the manager sends weekly emails to parents with suggestions of activities to do at home. However, the manager does not provide enough opportunities for children to explore their cultures, languages and diverse backgrounds, to help children develop their understanding of their uniqueness and of the wider world.
• The manager works closely with the staff and other professionals to reflect on the setting. She provides high-quality learning experiences for all children. Children are inquisitive and confident. For instance, they are very proud of having their name added to the board when they manage their coats themselves. However, on occasion, staff do not encourage children to tidy away. This would allow them to learn how to take care of things and create floor space to explore the resources they have selected.
• Staff know the children well and assess their development to support their individual needs. All children are well supported, including children who receive additional funding or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Children feel valued when staff include their ideas. They are encouraged to vote for different activities. For instance, children find their name and place it next to the book they would like the staff to read at story time. This helps to build on children's early literacy skills. Children learn to understand democracy and how to respect other children's choices. Children's behaviour is good.
• Staff plan a range of interesting activities that build on children's interests. Children confidently choose and lead their own play. For example, young children help themselves to resources that are on low shelves. Older children make changes to the creative painting activity to make handprints. Staff support children to extend their learning. This helps to build on their independence and imaginative skills.
• Children access a range of resources and become engrossed in their play. For instance, in the garden, they fill buckets with mud, water and natural resources to create pretend potions. Children giggle with delight when they put on their wellies and jump in muddy puddles. They build on their gross and fine motor skills. Children are developing their understanding of cause and effect.
• Children enthusiastically join in with whole-group activities, such as singing and story times. However, at times, staff are not always clear of the learning intention of the activity, and children become distracted. This means children do not always achieve as well as they could.
• Children are developing a good understanding of how to keep healthy. For example, they enjoy healthy snacks and plant and harvest vegetables that they cook and eat.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance opportunities for children to share more about the languages, traditions and cultural practices they experience at home
• review the arrangements during daily routines to help children understand the importance of tidying up resources and caring for their play spaces
• enhance further staff's understanding of the curriculum to plan clear learning intentions, to help all children become and remain highly engaged in their learning.