Pierremont Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the playgroup happily. They are eager to learn and excited to see the friendly and welcoming staff and their friends. Children form close relationships with the staff who care for them. They benefit from staff's nurturing approach to meeting their individual needs. Children are curious and eager to explore the range of interesting activities on offer. For example, they giggle as they become immersed in group time. Children talk freely about their characters linked to World Book Day. Children focus intently as they play and interact with staff, sharing ideas and suggestions. They develop the skills and knowledge they need to prepare them for their next stage in learning.

Staff have high expectations for children. Children are independent learners. They help to prepare fruit for snack time, peeling oranges or cutting grapes, with and without support. Children behave very well and show care and respect for their learning environment. Children show empathy to each other. Their emotional literacy plays an important part in the curriculum. This enables children to understand how they feel, why they are feeling that way and the impact their actions can have on others. Children develop friendships with their peers. They play well alongside each other, especially as they use their imaginations in the role-play kitchen making pretend cups of tea for each other.

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

• Staff give high priority to promoting children's literacy skills. Children listen to stories each day and delight in answering questions as they recall what was read. They develop a love of reading, sharing stories throughout the day with each other. Children access a range of resources to promote their mark-making skills. For example, children confidently use pencils to draw, write lists for the shop and start to identify the initial letter in their name and the staff's names.
• The experienced staff work together effectively. They reflect on their practice and identify areas for further development. Regular staff meetings and briefings enable all staff to share their ideas for the playgroup. Staff undertake regular training initiatives and implement what they learn, so that the children benefit. Staff report they feel supported by their managers and feel that their well-being is always considered.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills very well, including children who speak English as an additional language. They ask open-ended question to encourage children to think and reason. However, staff do not always introduce more descriptive language to widen children's vocabularies.
• The manager and staff form strong and trusting relationships with parents. Staff take the time at the start and end of the day to talk with parents, sharing events from the playgroup. Parents are keen to use this time to share information about their children's home lives. This enables staff to have a clear understanding of children and their families.
• Parents' comments are extremely positive. Parents value the information shared with them verbally and electronically. They say that they have a real understanding of what their child is doing. Parents comment that staff ensure that every child is valued and respected, their children reach their full potential and are ready for school. They add that they feel privileged for their children to attend the playgroup.
• Staff plan individual goals in children's learning that complement the focus planned for the whole playgroup. However, staff do not effectively challenge children to build on what they already know and can do, in order to extend their learning to the highest possible level.
• Children develop a good understanding of some mathematical concepts, such as numbers. They begin to recognise what each number looks like and can confidentially count in sequence. Children solve simple mathematical problems for themselves as they start to add and subtract during games and songs.
• Children's personal hygiene and healthy eating are securely embedded in practice. Children know when to wash their hands without being prompted. Staff encourage parents to send healthy food for their children's lunches. They discuss healthy eating with children as they have lunch together.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on what children already know and can do, to extend their learning to the highest possible level
• extend children's communication and language skills, such as by using more descriptive language to widen children's vocabularies.