Mylor Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have created a warm and nurturing environment for children and their families. On arrival, children spend time with their parents in the pre-school, showing them the toys and activities they will be playing with that day. They confidently wave goodbye to their parents and find their friends. Children feel safe and secure, and staff understand the positive influence that building strong relationships with children and their families has on children's development. Children build their imaginative skills as they pretend to be parents, looking after toy babies. Staff support young children in developing their creative skills as they decorate dough with sequins and glitter, expressing their own artistic ideas.

Staff have created a well-planned and ambitious curriculum that prepares children well for the next stage of learning. They guide pre-school children to explore the oceans and the creatures that live in water. Staff support children as they examine a toy octopus and guide them to recognise the pattern of suckers on the tentacles, explaining to children how octopuses sometimes move themselves around. Children are supported in building a broad vocabulary, learning new words, like 'suction' and 'beautiful'. Children of all ages are curious and engaged learners, making good progress from their starting points.

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

• Children are confident communicators, and the environment is filled with lively conversations. Staff engage in rich interactions with children, allowing them time to think and respond. Children know their opinions count. Staff consistently use sign language to support children's communication further.
• There is a strong focus on helping children develop their physical skills. Children are guided to build skills like running and climbing. As they ride bikes and tricycles, they develop their coordination. An outside provider supports children in building their dancing skills, teaching them to move to music and express themselves through movement.
• Staff regularly read stories to children and help them explore and understand experiences that go beyond their own. They use interesting voices to capture children's attention, and children of all ages listen well. Pre-school children confidently write their name and some numbers. Younger children are guided to develop their early writing skills by making marks on paper with pens.
• Children engage in their play. They understand the daily routines, are patient during group times and eagerly follow instructions, such as lining up before going outdoors to play. However, when children struggle to share, staff do not consistently support them in understanding how their behaviour affects others.
• Parent feedback is highly positive. They report that their children make good progress, particularly in gaining confidence and developing their communication skills. Parents comment that they are well informed about the activities their children engage in. They recommend the pre-school to others.
• Children are supported to follow well-established routines and hygiene practices, such as washing their hands before eating. However, staff do not always support children in developing their independence skills further, particularly during snack times, when tidying away toys and when putting on wet-weather clothes.
• Staff are experienced in childcare and education. They report feeling valued in their role and enjoying working in the team. Staff feedback that they receive ongoing support and coaching, undertaking relevant training that they put into practice to support children further. For example, a recent course on literacy in the early years has supported staff in making books more freely available to children. This has enhanced how staff read to children, exploring each page with children further.
• The curriculum has a strong focus on guiding children to explore and understand nature and animals. Children explore life cycles by watching chicks and caterpillars grow. They are supported in understanding how fruit grows, and they harvest strawberries and apples from the plants and trees in the garden.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to understand how their behaviour impacts on others
• extend opportunities for children to develop independence skills.