Midsummer Park Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff create a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment where children flourish. They gather relevant information from parents about children's starting points. This helps staff plan for children's learning effectively from the beginning, taking into consideration children's abilities and interests. Staff are good role models and teach children to be caring and respectful towards others. Children understand each other's differences, learn to share, take turns and regulate their own behaviour well. Staff ensure children access the outdoors and build on their balance and coordination to support their physical development.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is ambitious for all children, regardless of their unique abilities. Staff complete regular assessments of children's learning and development. This helps them quickly identify any emerging gaps and provide targeted interventions. Leaders and staff work effectively with parents and other professionals to ensure that all children receive timely support to help them catch up with their peers.

Staff provide a wide range of opportunities during daily routines and activities for children to develop high levels of confidence and independence. Children show good attitudes towards learning and are ready for what comes next. All children, including those who learn English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop skills needed for the future.

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

• Leaders are experienced and enthusiastic to provide the best quality of care and education for all children who attend. They work closely with the local authority advisory team to help them identify areas for further development. Leaders use additional funding effectively to provide extra staff and resources for children with SEND and to build on children's learning.
• Leaders place a strong focus on staff's professional development to benefit children in their care. For example, staff recently attended training and expanded their knowledge of storytelling in the outdoor environment. This benefited many children who enjoy reading and prefer to learn outdoors, helping to build on their early literacy and communication and language development.
• The provider and leaders focus very well on staff's emotional well-being. Staff report being well supported in their roles personally and professionally.
• Staff ensure that children with SEND receive the appropriate support they need to help them develop skills for future learning, including in functional communication. For example, staff make good use of visual resources that help children understand what is expected of them and what will happen next.
• Most staff build well on children's communication and language development. They skilfully ask questions for children to think and answer and expand on their vocabulary. There are occasions when less-skilled staff do not build on children's learning as much as possible. This means that children do not consistently receive high-quality learning experiences.
• Children settle in quickly when they first start. However, there are occasions during the day, such as on children's arrival, when the key person is not available to attend to children to support them emotionally. Nevertheless, children develop strong bonds with staff and seek their reassurance when needed.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to build on their learning outdoors. For example, when children show an interest in bridges, staff encourage them to expand on this learning outdoors. Children use their imagination and create the river under the bridge.
• Children develop a love for reading. Staff are enthusiastic and encourage children to participate in creating stories as they read and let them use their imagination as they recall the stories.
• Staff encourage children to use positional language as they play. For example, children develop an understanding of 'over' and 'under' as they go on a bear hunt. This supports their early mathematical language.
• Children enjoy making play dough and use their small muscles to roll it out and create different shapes. They confidently draw pictures of their choice and talk about their creations. Children develop skills in preparation for early writing.
• Parents speak highly of the caring staff, the learning opportunities and the support their children receive. They value the regular updates and recognise the skills their children have developed since starting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the current organisation of routines and staff responsibilities to allow staff to be available at different times of the day to support their key children emotionally when they become distressed
• continue support for less-skilled staff to help them become confident teachers to provide consistently strong quality learning experiences for all children.