Neston Preschool Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This pre-school places children's needs first and foremost. Staff work hard to identify and support every child's unique needs. As children arrive, they are warmly welcomed by the friendly, caring staff, who understand each child's personality. Children are happy and eager to take part in activities. Children who are new to the pre-school receive lots of support and attention to help them settle at their own pace. Children build close relationships with staff. They actively seek them out to join in their games.

Staff encourage children's positive attitudes towards learning. They ensure that the learning environment is well prepared with a good range of activities that match children's interests. Children explore the environment freely and remain busy in their play. For example, they develop their physical skills as they climb the slide and expand their fine motor control by holding and manipulating play dough.

Staff understand the skills children need to support their transition to school. The curriculum has a strong emphasis on prioritising independence and social development, helping children to make friends and be confident to listen and communicate. Staff are very attentive and make careful assessments of what each individual child needs to progress. When children need additional support, staff work diligently with parents and others to ensure that children receive the help they need to continuously grow in confidence and skills. All children make progress and become engaged, curious learners. Relationships between staff and children are warm and nurturing.

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

• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents comment how happy their children are attending the setting and often enter the setting without saying goodbye in their haste to greet their friends and staff. They say staff keep them well informed about their children's day and their developmental achievements.
• Staff work very closely together as a collaborative team. They are supported through inductions, supervision sessions and staff meetings. Staff say that they feel very well supported by the manager and that their well-being is always considered. This close teamworking ensures that staff share the same vision and expectations for children.
• Staff take part in regular mandatory training, such as safeguarding and first aid. However, staff do not explore broader training opportunities to further support children's learning to enhance their professional development and raise teaching standards to an even higher level.
• The pre-school works closely with a range of other professionals to enhance outcomes for children. When children attend other settings, staff build partnerships quickly to provide children with effective continuity of care. Pre-school staff work closely with school staff to support children's transitions as they move on to the next stage in their educational journey. They work alongside other professionals to provide tailored learning plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, all children, including those with SEND, make the best possible progress.
• Staff ensure that children have lots of interesting things to talk about, helping to build on their language and communication skills. For instance, children eagerly arrange a birthday cake in the role-play area, taking care to count the candles. Staff repeat words, correct punctuation and add new vocabulary, such as 'solar panels', during play. However, occasionally, staff do not allow sufficient time when posing questions to children to allow them to answer and fully explain their own ideas and what they think.
• Children enjoy making choices about their play based on their own interests. For example, they choose what and who they play with and select their own toys. Children are offered choices throughout the day, such as milk or water at snack time, allowing them to make decisions for themselves. Children's personal hygiene is a high priority as staff teach children to wash their own hands. Staff discuss which foods are healthy and the importance of good oral health. This helps children to understand the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen training to provide all staff with tailored support that meets their individual needs to build on their skills and further enhance how they teach the curriculum
• allow sufficient time when posing questions to children to allow them to answer, and fully explain their own ideas and what they think.