Orchard Park Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

As children arrive, they are excited to go straight to the outdoor area to take advantage of the settled weather. Children call out to their friends to join them as they arrive. They demonstrate lovely manners towards staff and their friends. For example, children share magnetic fishing rods as other children wait for a turn. Children are kind and considerate towards children that require additional support. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

Children develop a strong understanding of the diverse world around them. For example, they learn about different countries and their customs. Children are thoroughly engaged as they learn to use chopsticks, laughing as they pick up the noodles. They build the muscles in their fingers and hands as they use scissors to cut up the noodles. As children add a variety of ingredients to the mixing bowl, they decide how much flour to add, counting out the ice cube fish as they add them to the mixture. Children use their imaginations well.

Children's home languages are celebrated and can be seen around the pre-school on displays and in books. Parents share their knowledge of cultural cooking as they introduce new flavours and foods to all the children. This helps children to value the diverse foods from around the world.

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

• Children benefit from a curriculum that builds on their prior learning and experiences. Staff extend children's learning by providing stimulating learning experiences. For example, children take a bus to visit the local library. They learn how to keep safe as they walk to the bus stop. Children experience paying for their bus fare, selecting books and checking them out. They make good progress in their learning and development, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Children confidently go to the toilet on their own, wash their hands before eating and put on their coats. However, staff do not consistently support children to make independent choices in what they play with. Children do not have regular opportunities to develop their self-help skills, such as pouring their drinks, and preparing and serving their food.
• Staff skilfully introduce children to new words and ensure that children understand their context. As children watch a rainbow forming, they talk about the colours they see and how they blend. They sing their favourite songs, taking it in turns to choose what they will sing. When children create a pretend hospital, they learn what a stethoscope does and practise listening to each other's heart. As a result, children develop effective communication and language skills.
• Staff introduce mathematics very well into all areas of the children's play. For example, they encourage children to measure how tall they are and compare heights. Children use large arm movements to draw shapes on the window using paintbrushes and shaving foam. Children are confident to use mathematical language in their play.
• The pre-school's special educational needs coordinator is experienced in her role and knowledgeable about the children that require additional support. She works closely with each child's key person, family and agencies to ensure that they receive timely interventions and targeted support to meet their development needs.
• Staff use additional funding carefully to support and encourage children's individual learning. For instance, they purchase resources that will spark children's interests to promote their speech development. Staff provide a range of dressing-up costumes to help to encourage children's social interaction. They monitor the impact on children's learning and development to ensure that children continue to make good progress in their learning.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents are encouraged to use their skills and knowledge to enhance children's learning experiences. For example, they cook with children and help to garden in the outdoor area. Staff share information regularly, so that parents have a clear understanding of what their children are learning within the pre-school. They provide ideas to support children's speech and language development at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve opportunities to enable children to make more choices for themselves, and build on their independence skills further.