Nancledra Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop close and trusting bonds with their key person and other staff. They seek cuddles for reassurance and comfort, helping them settle and feel secure. Babies follow familiar routines from home, including when and where they sleep. This helps to support smooth transitions for all children. Older children enjoy dancing and moving to music, helping to strengthen their core muscles and coordination. They sing along to familiar rhymes and songs, contributing to the language-rich environment.

Children confidently choose activities and equipment that interest them. They spend long periods immersed in their play and exploration. Children welcome the involvement of the attentive staff. They repeat their actions, such as rolling and pinching play dough to develop their finger and hand strength. Children show good dexterity and use small tools, such as cutters, with confidence.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the manager has maintained contact with children and their families to check on their well-being and support children's learning. For example, staff read stories for those children who could not attend and encouraged parents to share their observations of children's development at home.

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

• The well-thought-out curriculum supports all children to move towards their current learning goals. Staff have high expectations of what every child can achieve. They make effective use of individual children's observations and assessments to plan a range of activities. However, at times, staff do not provide extra challenge for children and build on what they already know and can do, to extend their learning to the highest possible level.
• Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well. They use children's home languages alongside speaking English, to help deepen children's understanding and extend their English vocabulary. Children develop good speaking skills and quickly gain a good command of English.
• Key persons know their key children well. They speak about the children with genuine affection and interest. However, occasionally, staff do not know what all children in their room need to learn next, to enable them to adapt their teaching with children consistently to the highest levels.
• Staff are good role models. They model the behaviour they expect and support children to behave well. The positive praise and encouragement from staff successfully raise children's self-esteem.
• Partnerships with parents are good and parents speak highly of the staff team. Parents say that staff have 'a caring mindset' and 'are invested in the children'. Through daily discussions with staff, parents know what their children are achieving and work with staff to meet children's needs. However, some parents are less aware of their children's individual next stages of development, which does not support them to build on these skills at home.
• Staff have good links with a range of external agencies and wider professionals. They seek help and advice when needed to benefit children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and ensure their needs are well met. These effective partnerships help staff to monitor children, set targets to implement and support children to make the best progress they can.
• The manager monitors staff's performance well, for instance through regular appraisals and supervisions. She identifies any areas where staff may require further development and takes action, to help maintain good-quality education for children. Staff take part in regular training to develop their knowledge and skills. They share their learning from training during staff meetings to benefit all staff and enhance their professional development.
• The committee provides strong governance for the staff team. Committee members understand that they are responsible for guidance, support and decision-making. They have clear roles and responsibilities and demonstrate a good focus and plan for ongoing improvement. Committee members visit the setting regularly and the manager attends committee meetings.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff identify how they can build on what children already know and can do, to extend their learning to the highest possible level
• strengthen the systems for sharing information with all parents and staff about what children need to learn next and support them to build on these skills.