Millfield Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from spending time in this caring pre-school. This is because the experienced and knowledgeable staff focus their attention on supporting children's learning and enjoyment. For example, during children's free play, staff engage them in meaningful conversations about their interests. They encourage children to recall and talk about their previous experiences. This helps children to develop confidence and to practise their speaking skills. At snack time, where children can choose from a range of healthy food, they develop their social skills. Staff's interactions with children prompt them to ask questions and listen for answers. They encourage children to take turns and help each other.

Children's positive behaviour shows that they feel safe and secure. They grow in confidence and skills. For example, new children copy the examples of staff and their peers to tidy up resources after their imaginative play. Staff praise children for their efforts. This encourages children to be proud of the contributions they make. Staff promote children's curiosity and desire to experiment. For example, they supply a range of materials that children can stack and build with. Staff use simple mathematical language which helps children to develop their awareness of shape, space and measure as well as their numeracy skills.

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

• Leaders and managers have addressed the actions raised at the previous inspection. They now ensure that Ofsted are kept up to date with any changes to committee members. The committee demonstrates a suitable understanding of its role and responsibilities.
• The pre-school staff aim to deliver a high-quality education to children. For example, at the beginning of the school year, children who attended in the previous term are invited to attend for a few days to resettle before new children start. This helps the staff to reconnect with the children already attending before they need to concentrate on settling in the new children. It helps to create a smooth start to the pre-school year for all children. This helps children to be ready to engage with the learning opportunities on offer to them and maintains the calm atmosphere.
• Leaders and staff work together to share what they know about the children through their frequent observations. They get to know children well and use this knowledge to identify where children are in their learning. Staff put clear plans in place to support them. This helps all children to make progress.
• Staff report good levels of support for their well-being. Leaders enable them to develop their skills and knowledge. This contributes to continuous improvements in quality. A clear programme of professional development is in place. Managers ensure that staff understand what is expected of them in their daily practice with children.
• Parents value how welcoming staff are of their children. They say that their children look forward to attending pre-school. Parents keenly praise the pre-school staff. They report that they feel confident that their children are safe and secure. Parents value the support staff give with toilet training and how to encourage children's health and positive behaviour.
• Children learn to handle books confidently. They enjoy choosing books that they would like to look at and talk to each other about the pictures. Staff playfully encourage children to retell a story that they are familiar with. This helps to develop children's interest in books and print.
• Throughout the day, staff are deployed effectively to promote children's safety. Leaders have carefully assessed any risks and ensure that staff understand what they need to do to manage them. For example, staff are close to large garden play equipment. They explain to children how to keep themselves safe by not climbing when there is not an adult closely supporting them.
• Staff teach children individually and in small groups. This helps to give children time and attention to support their development. However, young children and the least able children are not able to fully benefit from staff's teaching when staff gather them as a whole group. This is because the group time is too long for these children, and the teaching does not do enough to encourage their focus and engagement.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of larger group times and some daily routines to help children focus and engage in meaningful learning, where the teaching is sensitive to needs of the youngest and least-able children.