Parkside Pre-school in Association with YMCA Reading

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle easily on arrival. They are welcomed warmly by the caring and kind staff, who form positive relationships with them. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff support new children sensitively, which enables them to quickly understand the expectations and routines. Children gain good independence and self-help skills. They know how to care for their belongings, such as putting their water bottles away. Children learn to take off and put on their shoes, boots and coats by themselves.

Children confidently move between the two playrooms and make their own choices of activities. They engage with enthusiasm in their learning, such as using magnifying glasses to find and identify insects outside. Children develop their concentration skills effectively. For example, they focus well when singing action songs. They receive very effective support for their language development, including their listening skills. Children follow instructions and recall familiar songs and stories very well, such as 'Jack and the Beanstalk'.

Staff have high expectations of all children. They have an in-depth knowledge of each individual child's needs and how to support them. Children, overall, benefit from effective learning experiences and interactions. These positively promote their readiness for the next stage of learning. In particular, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language make rapid progress from their starting points.

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

• Staff monitor children's progress closely and quickly identify and address any gaps. They implement individual support plans and use effective strategies to successfully promote children's progress. For example, staff provide 'bucket time' activities to target children's progress. Staff use visual prompts to communicate and support children's understanding of routines and expectations. This also supports children who speak English as an additional language effectively. Additional funding is thoughtfully used to promote children's specific development needs. Staff form strong partnerships with other professionals and follow their advice to support children's needs.
• Children develop very good social skills. They make friends and demonstrate that they really enjoy their time at the pre-school. Children behave well and understand the expectations for their behaviour. Staff provide very positive role models to children in how they behave. For instance, staff consistently behave in a calm way and use polite manners when interacting with children. This is then reflected in how children behave, such as saying 'please' and 'thank you' at snack time without being prompted.
• The well-designed curriculum is based on staff's secure knowledge of the children's needs and their backgrounds. This supports children's learning effectively over time. Staff successfully implement the main learning intentions.
• Staff engage with children with interest and become involved in their play and activities. However, not all staff consider ways to challenge children's thinking and problem-solving skills. For instance, at times, staff step in too quickly to offer solutions. In addition, sometimes, not enough consideration is given to promoting children's own ideas and creativity, such as during art activities.
• Staff form very strong partnerships with parents. They work closely with all parents, offering additional support to families when needed. Staff provide ongoing information to parents to help them continue children's learning at home. Parents' feedback is highly complimentary about the support they and their children receive. They highlight the effective progress their children have made since attending, including in their speech and language, confidence and social skills. Staff make good links with schools to help children transition successfully.
• Children learn about their own and other people's backgrounds through different activities and resources. For example, children celebrate different cultural and religious festivals, such as learning traditional dances. Staff provide resources that value children's uniqueness, including books in the languages children hear and speak at home.
• Staff enjoy their work and work harmoniously as a team. They feel well supported, both professionally and in their well-being. Staff have regular individual and staff meetings to discuss and monitor their work. They benefit from ongoing professional development opportunities to help build on their skills and practice. Staff use their new knowledge to enhance children's learning experiences. For example, they teach children new vocabulary to widen their understanding and use of descriptive words.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's knowledge and skills to help them challenge children's learning more, in particular to promote their problem-solving skills, to extend their progress even further
• provide more opportunities for children to use their own ideas and create their own designs, such as during artwork activities.