Netherthong Pre-School & Out Of School Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the setting confident, eager and ready to learn. They have high levels of independence and quickly settle into the familiar routines. The curriculum is ambitious and challenging for children. Staff know the children well and have a good grasp of how best to support them and build on their knowledge and skills. Staff recognise the importance of allowing children time to practise and hone their skills and apply their learning in different ways. This helps to ensure knowledge is embedded and allows children to grow in confidence.

Staff listen well to the children and take account of what interests them. Children enjoy learning about what changes occur as we move into autumn. They delight in exploring their environment and observing as the leaves change in colour and fall from the trees. They learn new words and their meaning, such as 'nocturnal' when learning more about hedgehogs. They use language well for description as they refer to the fallen leaves as 'scrunchy' and 'crunchy' in texture.

Children develop an early appreciation and love of books. Group story times capture the children's interest, and they show good recall at the end of stories. They recall that the character in the book used a 'sander' and a 'jack' and recount the actions and repeated phases from the story.

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

• The curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Staff ensure key skills of focus are brought into learning experiences, as identified in children's individual learning plans.
• Staff engage in lots of dialogue with children, and this helps to promote their communication and language. Staff are skilled in giving children time to process their thoughts and respond to questions, unhurried and in their own time.
• Staff support children to gain an understanding of other's feelings and to learn how their behaviour impacts on others. Staff help children to work through any disputes and come up with resolutions, which helps them to problem solve. For example, children work together to make a larger circular track to fit all their trains so that no one is left out. They learn about responsibility as they help to clear up after themselves and complete self-care tasks. This all helps prepare them for their transitions to school.
• Children's physical skills are developing well. Staff provide opportunities for children to balance and climb, and wheeled toys are made available for children's differing abilities. Children skilfully manoeuvre scooters and balance bikes down the slope and steer between cones. They take account of the space and others around them. They learn new skills as they peel and chop different fruits at snack times.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. Gaps in learning are quickly identified and discussed with parents. Staff are proactive in getting professionals onboard to ensure children and families get the support they need. Funding is used to good effect to purchase specific resources that best support the children's individual learning needs.
• Partnerships with parents are effective and they are kept well informed about their children's progress and next steps in learning. Staff involve parents in their children's learning and organise family events, such as the recent welly walk. However, partnerships with other settings children attend are less effective, resulting in the setting not having a full picture of the children's learning journey.
• Staff have regular supervisions and appraisal meetings, and the staff and leadership team work well together. The manager has only been in post a short time but already has ambitious plans for the setting. She has a good grasp of what they do well and has identified areas of the provision she wants to improve. Evaluations of teaching practice identify the strengths but are not always effective in identifying areas for improvement to further build on the high-quality provision and ensure a consistent approach.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to develop the evaluations of teaching practice to consistently identify areas for improvement, further building on the high-quality provision provided
• ensure a consistent approach to partnership working with other settings children attend in order to gain a full picture of the child's learning journey and all-round development.