Olveston Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel safe and secure. Staff embed a clear curriculum that focuses on developing children's independence and school readiness. Staff mix age groups, which helps the younger children to hear a variety of language and gives the older ones opportunities to role model daily routines to their younger peers, giving them a sense of responsibility. Children have good bonds with all staff members, who are kind and attentive. Each child is viewed as a unique individual, and this helps children to have confidence in their own learning. Children feel valued and respected through the genuine interest that the staff team take in speaking to the children each day.

Children receive encouragement to use their senses during everyday activities. For example, on a walk to forest school, they are prompted to listen to the noises around them. Staff have discussions with children to explore what the noises might be. This helps children to develop their thinking. Staff praise children for their efforts, helping them to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

Children enjoy being outdoors. They competently use the woodland resources and make up their own games. Children are kind and considerate towards each other and carefully navigate risks. For example, they push their friends on the swing with the right amount of force, ensuring that both them and their friends are safe. This demonstrates compassion for each other, while fostering their emotional well-being.

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

• The manager is clear about the curriculum intent for all children. The curriculum is age-appropriate, broad and ambitious. Parents receive regular updates and assessments of their child's learning and development. Staff use information gathered through observations of all children to provide meaningful experiences to help extend children's learning even further. They work closely with parents to understand each individual child's likes and needs. Staff keep parents up to date about their child's progress, which enables them to continue children's learning at home. Children make good progress from their starting points.
• Children join in with parts of the daily routines with confidence. For example, during snack times, older children find their own name and seat themselves. However, staff do not engage the younger ones during some group activities as effectively as they do the older children. This would extend their engagement and focus further.
• Children are articulate and starting to use their memory and recall skills. For example, they can describe where things grow and what vegetables are called from previous learning that has taken place. Staff recognise the importance of working alongside children to help them to become confident speakers. Staff use skilful questioning, which supports children to use their increasing vocabulary to build even further on their communication skills.
• Staff provide explanations and use role modelling to help children understand acceptable behaviours. For example, younger children receive gentle reminders of how to share and learn to play with others. Staff praise children for following the pre-school rules, such as taking turns with their friends and using their 'walking feet' and 'kind hands'. However, some staff do not always provide suitable explanations to support children to develop a deeper understanding of the rules and boundaries during activities.
• Children make independent choices about their learning, choosing from the wide range of resources and equipment on offer. Older children manage their own personal hygiene, such as washing their hands. However, at times, staff do not support and encourage children consistently to manage more of their self-care tasks for themselves. This would allow them to become more independent and ready for the move onto school.
• Staff introduce early mathematics to build on children's increasing abilities. For instance, children use their own skills to solve problems of what items to use to make a bird feeder in forest school. Younger children learn about weight and volume as they play with the water tray, emptying and filling different-sized jugs and containers. Pre-school children count their peers and recognise numbers in the environment. Staff correct them if needed, so they begin to understand recognition and sequencing of numbers.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff more to consistently encourage children to do things for themselves, to help them gain new skills and to develop their independence
• develop the use of whole-group activities, so that the experiences provided promote all children's engagement and focus more
• support staff to provide a more consistent approach so that children gain a deeper understanding of the rules and boundaries during activities.