Norton St Philip Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff conscientiously outline their curriculum. The close-knit team of staff work well together to form their observations and assessments of children's development into next steps in their learning. Staff outline targeted opportunities for children. They usefully offer children different ways to extend their skills and differentiate for the younger and older children to ensure that they are challenged specifically and effectively. For example, younger children have great fun making marks with chalks outside on the paving. Staff inspire them skilfully as they draw items and discuss these. Children develop their hand strength effectively as they squash and squeeze play dough and use different tools to form and cut it. Older children explore early writing, forming letters of their names, and staff give them effective tips for their success. Children's curiosity is fostered and channelled very well in carefully thought-out activities. They place items in buckets on large scales, fascinated to see the effects they create as the buckets move. Staff help them explore mathematics concepts, such as counting, quantity and capacity, extending children's thinking and investigation as they encourage children to work out how to make the scales level.

Staff are very caring and patient. Children warm to them readily and build strong bonds with them. Children are sensitively and attentively supported. They are quickly reassured with a hug if they are upset, and they happily join staff in completing a puzzle, forgetting about their little worry.

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

• Staff place a strong focus on helping children gain the skills they will need for their move on to school. They patiently take time within the routines of the day to maximise the opportunities to develop children's independence. Children pour their own drinks, peel their fruit and open packets themselves at mealtimes. Staff skilfully encourage them to persevere, giving them tips for their success. Children are very proud of their achievements and show positive attitudes to learning.
• Staff listen to children, giving them time to put their thoughts into words. They are interested in what children have to say and extend their skills with further discussion. Staff offer explanations, key words and correct pronunciations to extend children's communication and language skills very effectively. This includes children who speak more than one language.
• Children have lots of opportunity to be active in the fresh air. They develop their physical skills on the equipment in the garden. They learn about growing plants and water these conscientiously, building their interest in the natural world. Staff also take the children out on walks around the village, supporting their understanding of their local community.
• Staff share information with parents about children's day at the pre-school. They hold parents' evenings periodically to discuss children's development and offer extra meetings and chats if needed to support any additional needs children's have. However, they do not regularly share children's changing next steps with parents to help support children's learning at home even further. Staff liaise with the school on site to support children's move on to school, and they have forged some links with other settings the children currently attend. However, they are not gaining as much information as possible to inform their future planning and to help support a consistent approach for the children.
• Staff offer very clear explanations and reminders to children, helping their understanding and cooperation. Staff promote a calm atmosphere at the pre-school. Children learn how to adapt their behaviour appropriately, such as to have 'indoor voices'. Older children thoughtfully share their play dough with the younger ones. They stop their bikes when their friend loses a shoe, and they give them time to sort this before they zoom round again.
• Staff build children's interest in books. Children enjoy snuggling with staff in the den outside and listening to stories staff read to them. Staff also encourage children to borrow books to take home to share with their family, beneficially promoting children's literacy at home.
• The long-standing staff team is dedicated to providing the best it can for children and their families. Staff work cohesively and efficiently together to evaluate their effectiveness, continually outlining and enhancing their practice and provision.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance partnership working, sharing information more regularly with parents and other settings the children attend to support a fully consistent approach to progressing children's skills.