Moonbeams Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the pre-school happy and excited for their day. Friendly staff greet them happily as they arrive. Staff create an inviting environment where children independently explore. Children excitedly engage in the home corner. They talk with their friends about what food they are making. They make 'cookies and cakes' then eagerly share these with staff. They giggle with happiness when staff 'eat' their creations.

Children have access to a large garden area. They confidently ride bicycles and scooters. They learn the importance of wearing safety equipment while riding them. Children use magnifying glasses to hunt for minibeasts. Staff facilitate this by leading children to areas where there might be bugs. They turn over wood and shriek with excitement when they see insects. Staff talk to the children about the woodlice and earwigs they can see. They ask the children if they can count the bugs.

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure within the pre-school. They seek comfort from staff when they feel sad and enjoy a cuddle with them. Children enjoy playing games with staff and they laugh together when they match the 'wrong' pieces as they complete a puzzle. Staff give children time to work out how the pieces go together while providing them with words of encouragement.

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

• The manager and her staff plan an exciting curriculum to support children's learning. Children's interests are identified upon starting at the pre-school. Staff use these along with children's next steps for learning to inform their planning of activities for them. Children show engagement and willingness to learn.
• The manager generally provides her staff with good support and training opportunities. Staff have accessed various online training courses to support their personal development. However, some staff are not always confident to consistently use their knowledge to appropriately support and challenge children in their learning and development, to help them make even more progress.
• Children sit together for mealtimes and independently select food from their lunchboxes. Staff support children to make good choices of what to eat first. Children engage in conversations with staff and their friends and share their experiences. For example, children discuss the pets they have at home and how they care for them. Children listen to each other and wait for their friends to finish before they speak.
• Children with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are generally well supported. The manager identifies children that require extra support quickly and refers them to relevant agencies. Staff encourage children to label items in their home language and English. They use their knowledge of the children with English as an additional language to engage them in activities. However, staff do not consistently use strategies effectively to support children's understanding of routine expectations, particularly those with SEND.
• Staff engage children in a variety of group activities. Upon arrival, children are supported to recognise their 'name cards' and peg them to the board. Staff create an exciting interactive story time using various props. Older children eagerly get involved and are encouraged to recall the story. For most children, this builds their confidence and develops their listening and attention skills. However, staff do not always plan group activities to cater for the differing developmental levels of the younger children and those with SEND. At times, these children are disengaged in the activity.
• Children display good behaviour. They play happily with and alongside their friends. Children learn to use tools at the mark-making area. They praise their friends when they do a 'good job' and they share the tools with each other kindly. Children form good relationships and are respectful of others.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school and how caring and approachable all the staff are. They report their children are happy and have made good progress. Parents of children with SEND and English as an additional language mention the 'excellent' support they have received from the manager in accessing help from outside agencies.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that staff consider the needs of all children when planning group activities to ensure children remain engaged in their learning
• provide staff with sufficient support to enable them to use their training to provide children with learning opportunities relevant to their developmental level, to help them make the progress they are capable of
• consistently use strategies that are put in place to support children with SEND, particularly their understanding of routine expectations.