Pelican Preschool Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a warm and welcoming setting where children show excitement as they arrive. Children quickly settle and delight in initiating games and playing alongside their friends. Children new to the setting feel secure as staff sensitively guide and reassure them. Staff know children well and plan a meaningful curriculum around children's next steps for learning and their individual interests. For example, when children show an interest in fire fighters, staff provide books and create a fire station where children have fun engaging in imaginative role-play games. Staff provide very good support for children with special education needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure that all children make good progress in their learning and development.

Children are kind and caring, and they learn to share resources and take turns with one another. Overall, staff support children well to manage their emotions and feelings. This helps children to understand how to calm themselves when they feel angry or frustrated. For example, children approach adults for reassurance or return to a favourite activity. Staff provide ample opportunities for children to go outside to get fresh air and practise their physical skills. Children excitedly put on their coats and boots and enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities. They demonstrate good control and coordination as they run, climb and balance. Children thrive in this happy and stimulating environment.

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

• The leadership team works hard to continually improve the provision. Monitoring systems are effective and enable leaders to identify areas for further development. For example, improvements have been made to the outdoor area to provide a safe and secure environment where children can freely explore.
• Staff ensure that mealtimes are social occasions. Staff sit with children and initiate lively conversations. They encourage children's independence skills as children confidently pour drinks and learn how to open packets. Staff promote children's awareness of healthy eating by discussing why some foods, such as fruit, are good for our bodies.
• Partnership with parents is a strength of the pre-school. Parents speak very highly about the service they receive and praise the work that staff do. Staff give parents regular opportunities to look at children's learning journals. They share photos and regularly speak to parents to keep them well informed of their children's progress.
• Staff give high priority to developing children's communication and language skills. Staff model language effectively and repeat words clearly, so children have time to listen and absorb new vocabulary. For example, when playing in the sand, staff repeat the word 'scoop', while showing children the action. Children watch and repeat the word as they fill containers.
• Children are provided with good opportunities to look at books and listen to stories. This helps to foster an early interest in reading. However, group story times do not always enable all children to gain the most from the activity. Some children find it difficult to focus their attention for longer periods of time, which disrupts the learning of others.
• There are effective systems in place to monitor children's development. This enables staff to clearly identify when children require extra support to help them make progress. Staff are proactive in engaging swiftly with parents and other professionals to discuss any developmental delays. Appropriate plans are implemented, and children are supported to reach their full potential.
• Staff model the use of good manners, and children reflect this in their own behaviour as they consistently say 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff encourage positive behaviour but do not always implement strategies consistently. For example, when playing inside, children are regularly reminded to handle play equipment with care. However, when playing outside, this expectation is not always clearly communicated. Occasionally, this leads to minor disputes between children.
• Staff give good attention to preparing children for their transition onto school. Children learn to take care of their own needs as they use the toilet independently, wash their hands and get tissues to wipe their nose. Children confidently make choices about their play and learning and carefully consider the resources they will need to complete a task. For example, they gather cooking utensils and play food to prepare dinner for staff and shout, 'It's ready', to call them over to the table.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to establish consistency when supporting children's behaviour
• develop further the organisation of group times to enable all children to participate effectively and gain the most from learning opportunities.