Muddy Puddles Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive strong support in a nurturing and caring environment. Staff are passionate about their work. They know and understand their families extremely well and use this knowledge to help form the curriculum. Children are happy and secure with the staff. They enthusiastically take part in the routines of the setting and approach the staff for help. There is a natural and homely feel to the conversations among the staff and children. For example, the children ask for what they would like at the snack table and ask staff to play games with them, confident that they will receive the support they need.

Children enjoy taking part in group games and activities, which successfully develop their social skills. For example, they work together as they plant seeds and engage in 'messy play'. The children enthusiastically explore in the outdoor space, which is designed with resources to encourage them to follow their curiosity and play imaginatively. This supports children to develop confidence, communication and language and their understanding of the world.

Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is highly effective. Staff have created an environment where all children are integrated and included fully in play and activities. This significantly enhances the outcomes for these children.

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

• Leaders have designed a curriculum which builds on the children's interests and lived experiences. They provide regular access to a stimulating outdoor area, arrange visits to a farm and bring animals into the setting. These experiences are planned to help fill gaps in the children's knowledge and helps them understand the world around them.
• Leaders use evaluation and feedback effectively to support staff to develop their practice and improve the provision. Staff feel supported and valued. They talk about constructive discussions with leaders about children and their needs and feel able to ask for advice and guidance. For example, staff explain how they have suggested short-term adjustments to routines to accommodate children who were finding large groups daunting. This helps to promote children's social skills and develops the staff's practice and confidence.
• There are good arrangements to help children prepare for the next steps in their educational journey, both emotionally and intellectually. Children develop confidence and a positive attitude to learning. They enjoy taking part in planned group activities. Children learn to listen, ask questions and follow instructions. In addition, staff encourage children to be independent. For example, they provide the time and resources needed for children to prepare their own snack.
• Staff make good use of story times to introduce new vocabulary and make links to other parts of the curriculum. For example, they use favourite stories, such as 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' to teach children about healthy eating and the days of the week. Staff seamlessly integrate the children's interests and questions to further extend the learning, identifying differences and similarities. However, noise levels in the hall sometimes become high as children become overly excited. At these times, children are not able to hear the language modelled and do not benefit fully from the intended learning.
• The skilled and friendly staff significantly enhance children's learning and enjoyment. Staff are good role models for children and help them to manage their behaviour. They introduce children to a broad range of games, such as hide and seek, which children happily revisit in their free play. Staff respond to children's invitations to join in with their play. They recognise opportunities that arise to build on children's interests and introduce new ideas and challenges.
• Children benefit from daily opportunities to be physically active. Activities such as balancing, climbing and running help to develop their strength and coordination and teach them to manage risk.
• Leaders and staff have a strong commitment to offering the best possible provision for children with SEND as well as those who need additional support. Staff work closely with parents and relevant professionals to identify and meet children's individual needs.
• Staff nurture very strong relationships with parents. They use effective methods to share information. Feedback from parents is extremely positive. They comment particularly positively on how well their children have developed socially since being at the pre-school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise when excessive background noise levels may impact on children's ability to hear during activities aimed at promoting their language.