Papplewick Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time spent together as a group. They respond quickly when they hear the bell chime, showing that they are familiar with the routine. They pause their activities and join with their friends and staff to start the day. Children confidently share their ideas during this social time. They explain to each other the ways they can keep themselves safe in the sun, saying: 'When it's hot you need more drinks.' Children go on to tell their friends that they take vitamins each morning to stay healthy. Staff use this as an opportunity to help all children learn this new word, explaining that 'vitamins' build strong bodies.

Children develop their mathematical learning through many of the activities that they choose to engage in. At the modelling dough table, children make five currant buns and count out the number of cherries that they need to decorate them. Children work with staff to build a tower from large construction blocks. Staff ask children if the tower is taller or shorter than themselves, and children reply using the mathematical language that they know. Children develop their problem-solving skills. They correctly work out how many more blocks they need in order to build their tower as tall as the tower that their friend has built.

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

• The manager is improvement focused. She has worked closely with the local authority since the last inspection to lead on the evident developments within the setting. Staff now use an online application to record information about children's learning and development. Through this, they can monitor children's progress. Parents say that they like seeing the photos of their children that are shared on this platform. They report that they use ideas given by staff to support their children's learning at home.
• The manager and staff have considered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's development. They recognise that some children have had restricted opportunities to develop their physical skills and agility. To help, they set up a children's gym each day, where children use age-appropriate fitness equipment, such as cross trainers. Staff also take children to the local park where children strengthen their muscles through playing on large climbing equipment.
• The manager is invested in supporting staff's continued professional development. Training is relevant and benefits the children greatly. For example, forest school trained staff lead daily sessions in the local woodland. Children develop their imaginations as they make fairy jars to attract the woodland fairies. Children learn about keeping themselves safe while they explore the natural environment. They can recognise a nettle plant and know that this will sting them.
• Staff have built a curriculum around the different areas of children's learning and development. They offer children opportunities and experiences which support the curriculum well. That said, at times, staff do not organise the environment in the best way to support children to maintain focus on their learning.
• Staff use appropriate behaviour management strategies to shape children's positive behaviour. Children are motivated to make a positive contribution through being awarded a place on the 'star'. Staff help children find the language that they need to resolve their own conflicts. For example, when children want the same toy, staff suggest: 'How about you ask your friends to share some more blocks with you?'
• Overall, the manager has established an effective key-person system, through which children's individual care and development needs are met by familiar staff. This benefits all children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, other staff do not always know the next steps in learning for the children that they are interacting with. This means that occasionally, children's individual learning and development are not extended as specifically as they could be during activities.
• Children are supported well to look after their own bodies. Staff remind children to drink water throughout the day. Children learn that cleaning their teeth is good for their oral hygiene. Staff provide healthy snacks for children each day, and children are involved in preparing the food that they eat.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop the organisation of the learning environment to maintain children's focus on learning
• consider ways of sharing children's next steps in learning with all staff to maximise teaching opportunities throughout all activities.