Netherton Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff in the pre-school provide a safe and stimulating environment, where all areas of the indoor provision are accessible to the children. Staff work hard to get to know and understand the children in their care. This is done by providing settling-in visits, which are also supported with stay-and-play sessions that are provided outside of pre-school hours. Staff observe children while playing and then monitor and track their progress. They use this information to plan more activities based on the children's interests and take account of their next steps for development. Staff provide consistency with rules and boundaries that support children's understanding and promote positive behaviour.

Children show confidence in their learning abilities and share their achievements with each other while engaging in their play. Staff offer praise and recognition for children's successes and invite children to celebrate these. For example, children are encouraged to show others their ice-cream creations when playing with the foam, spoons, paint and ice-cream tubs. Staff place a strong focus on developing children's independence and this is continually encouraged and supported. There is also a positive culture for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

• Staff promote children's sense of self-identity by encouraging them to learn and understand things about themselves. For example, children draw self-portraits when they start attending the pre-school and again when they are due to leave. Children are asked to compare their pictures to consider how they have changed. Children also make handprints and footprints in the same way to compare how they grow. They also use these to discuss their similarities and differences with their peers. This promotes positive attitudes towards each other.
• Children are encouraged to be independent. This is done through a series of activities, including serving themselves their snacks, washing their hands and toileting independently and arranging any work they want to take home in their individually named drawers. This has an impact on children's personal development, as they understand more of their own capabilities. Staff liaise with other professionals and local community schools to support children's transitions to the next setting. This is done sensitively and with thought for children's specific needs as identified by staff.
• Children's progress is closely monitored and development concerns are quickly identified. Staff use this information to plan appropriate next steps and set individual learning targets so that children are well supported. Children who require more intense support are provided with this so that their additional needs are met. This supports children's individual learning and development.
• Staff engage well with children and promote conversation skills by talking to children about their feelings and about their ideas on what they would like to do. This builds on children's knowledge and understanding of concepts and words, such as 'freezing' and 'melting'. However, staff do not always extend this area of children's vocabulary by introducing them to new words that would further enhance these skills.
• Children show confidence in exploring their activities and are enthusiastic to be involved. For example, staff present a selection of resources and equipment for children to access at will, and children are keen to engage in them all. However, staff do not always encourage children to fully engage with books in the provision, which sometimes results in children not always having an appreciation and love of reading. Children show positive behaviour and good manners during their learning and are happy to take turns and share the resources with each other.
• Parents are very happy with the pre-school as well as the education and care that staff provide for their children. They are informed about their children's individual learning targets and are provided with opportunities to contribute to these outside of the pre-school.
• Leaders and managers are effective in decision-making that provides support for the whole staff team and ensure that continual professional development is an area of focus.
• The registered provider has failed to inform Ofsted of individuals who form part of the committee. However, from the inspection, it was considered that because these individuals have no direct contact with the children, there is no impact on them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide even more opportunities for children to extend and enhance their range of vocabulary
• encourage children's access to books in order to further promote children's love of reading.