Old Roan Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy attending this long-standing and welcoming pre-school. Children arrive happily and are pleased to see their friends and the staff. Throughout the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, staff continued to support families who could not attend, through telephone calls. Since the setting has fully reopened, the staff team continue to remain focused on supporting children's social needs and emotional well-being. Parents comment on how positive and helpful this contact was for them and their children, to continue their child's progress during this time. Staff are warm and attentive, promoting wonderful relationships and strong attachments, with families returning over a series of generations. As a result, children's physical and emotional well-being is good, and they show that they feel safe and secure. For example, they confidently engage with new visitors to the nursery and invite them to join in with their play.

Staff have high expectations for children's personal development. They provide opportunities for children to stand in front of their peers to show them how to do the actions to favourite nursery rhymes. Children are confident, demonstrate a sense of achievement and have a positive attitude to these experiences. Younger children show understanding as they jump up to shake their arms and legs when staff start to sing, remembering the actions to 'Dingle Dangle Scarecrow'.

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

• The managers and staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. This means that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of funding, make good progress. For example, managers use additional funding to target where children may need extra help. They purchase equipment so that children can practise and strengthen their physical skills. Staff work with parents and outside professionals, to implement personalised plans that target children's specific needs. This ensures they apply appropriate support for children where extra help is needed. Parents speak positively about the staff and their caring interactions.
• Overall, the curriculum is well planned and children acquire knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. Staff use assessments well to understand what children know and can do. However, occasionally, staff do not consistently identify precise next steps for most-able children during adult-led group times.
• The management team is passionate and committed. The long-standing staff team have formed strong bonds. The managers lead their team well and have a system in place to monitor staff practice. They discuss training that staff wish to attend. However, the manager's methods do not precisely focus on where staff need support to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently high level.
• Managers have introduced a speech programme in order to support children who have a speech delay. These children are now more confident when communicating. They are eager to talk to staff, and lively conversations take place. Children are confident to ask questions, follow instructions and explore real things. For example, children are curious about a caterpillar they find. Staff show them how to carefully hold and take care of living things. They give praise when children put the caterpillar down safely.
• Children demonstrate that they are ready for the next stage of their education. Every opportunity is provided to support children's developing independence and their understanding of the importance of good behaviour. Children confidently access activities. The managers make links with local schools to ensure continuity in the children's care and learning when the time comes to move on.
• Staff encourage children to take appropriate risks. For example, when younger children experiment with balancing on a beam, staff ensure the area around them is safe. They encourage slow movement from foot to foot as children attempt to reach the end. Children make friendships and learn how to share their toys. They enjoy listening to stories and singing songs in groups regularly throughout the day. Children behave very well.
• Staff support children's health well, knowing that children have had less outdoor play experiences because of COVID-19. They also support good hygiene routines. Children know how to help stop the spread of germs, such as through regular handwashing. Children enjoy using their leg muscles to peddle tricycles, and throw and catch balls with staff during activity outdoors.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make better use of the information gained from assessments to identify precisely what children need to learn next, so that teaching builds on children's prior knowledge and skills
• strengthen the arrangements for reviewing staff practice to focus more sharply on their strengths and weaknesses, to continually raise the good standard of teaching.