Pettitts Pre-School Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and smiling and run down the path to be greeted by the friendly and welcoming staff. They enter the building confidently, hang up their coats and recognise their names on the self-registration board. Children show that they feel safe and secure. They move with self-assurance around the pre-school, choosing what they want to play with. Children form strong bonds with nurturing staff and their peers.

Children relish their time outdoors. They excitedly find and study treasure maps and enthusiastically dig to find gold and other treasures. Children use magnified glasses as they search with excitement shouting, 'x marks the spot'. They are encouraged to dig deeper to see what they can find. Children's communication and language are supported well, as staff have meaningful conversations about what they find. Children develop a good understanding of the world as they watch and talk about recycling trucks and diggers as they drive past. Staff support children's confidence, communication and language skills as they encourage further discussions and ask open questions when children tell staff what they see and hear.

The children behave very well. Staff often praise and offer words of encouragement, which boost children's self-confidence and self-esteem. Children learn excellent independence skills and can put on their coats and shoes, chop up their own snacks, scrape their plates and wash their bowls. Children make independent decisions about what they want to do and cooperate with each other.

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

• The curriculum focuses on the importance of communication and preparations for early reading skills through lots of storytelling and singing. Staff model speaking and listening well, exposing children to new vocabulary, such as crinkled and oobleck, as they discuss roots belonging to the trees. In addition, sensory materials inspire children to talk to friends and staff about what they can see, hear, and feel. This supports their communication and language further.
• Children demonstrate high levels of engagement and enjoyment during story sessions. They independently choose books and staff join them in the cosy area to look at books together. Children turn the pages and join in with repeated phrases, showing good knowledge of stories. They take home book bags and story sharing diaries, which support their love of books at home.
• Children are engaged and occupied in their learning. They follow instructions and listen to staff well. Children are willing to share resources and involve each other in group activities. However, on occasions during group activities, less confident children are not being actively encouraged by staff to extend their speaking skills.
• Children develop warm, secure relationships and feel safe as they are each supported by a dedicated key person. Each key person knows and supports the children she works with well. Observations of children's learning, developmental starting points and next steps are clearly established. This evidence is supported by using parents' views of what the children can do when they start at the pre-school, which helps to establish the staff's baseline assessment. Staff regularly assess children's abilities and what they need to learn next.
• Leadership and management are effective. Staff speak highly of the support they receive and the focus placed on their well-being. The manager carries out regular supervision and arranges staff meetings to support staff development and to improve outcomes for children. Daily conversations are held between leaders and staff to reflect on practice and how to improve.
• Parent partnership is a strength of this pre-school. Parents feel well supported and receive good information about their child's development, and how to continue their learning at home. They comment positively on the communication about their children and activities are revised well to meet the needs of the children.
• Mathematical language is woven into everyday play. Staff regularly include counting in sequence throughout all activities. For example, they count the number of children in a line or the number of recycling lorries. Children choose from a wide range of number, colour and shape recognition games, which develop their mathematical skills further.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who need extra help receive good levels of support. Leaders work with outside agencies to support SEND children and, as a result, put appropriate strategies in place to meet the individual needs of the children. Social and communication groups take place daily throughout the day. This ensures all children make good progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the support for quieter children to allow them to respond in group activities to build on their confidence and to enable them to contribute to conversations and discussions.