Play and Learn Pre school Worle

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff welcome children on arrival, engaging them in conversations. Even those initially reluctant to part from their parents soon do so and happily enter the premises. Children behave well, have good manners and understand the staff's expectations. For example, when staff clap a rhythm, children impressively stop what they are doing and join in. When staff say it is time to tidy up, most start to help. Staff gently encourage others and soon all are taking care of their environment. Children work together to carry heavy boxes and put them where they belong. They enjoy being helpers for the day and proudly undertake their responsibilities.

Leaders and staff plan an effective curriculum overall. The good organisation of resources and well-planned activities motivate children. There is a busy, calm environment, with children happily engaged. Staff plan successfully for children to have repetition and recall previous learning. This helps them to remember more and embed their knowledge and skills, ready for their next stage of development. For example, children join in with counting spots on a dice and linking that to numerals on cards. The card gives them a yoga pose, which supports their physical control and coordination. Later, children engage in the activity without staff support, enabling them to become highly independent learners.

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

• The strong leadership team places an important emphasis on staff's well-being and the close, happy team confirm how much they enjoy working at the setting. This has a positive impact on children. Staff confirm they receive good training opportunities and mentoring, commenting on how invaluable observing experienced staff has been for developing their practice and skills.
• Leaders and staff continually evaluate their practice and make targeted changes to benefit the children. For example, they now start the day with circle time, where children sing songs, welcome each other and engage in discussions. Children gain greater confidence and settle more easily, calmly going off to their chosen activity. Staff talk daily to evaluate their planning from the day before. However, planning in the school's outdoor areas is not as effective at ensuring the same high-quality purposeful play and learning.
• Staff implement their curriculum for children's language and communication skills very effectively, so children become confident communicators. They use sign language and visual aids to support children's understanding. Staff plan small-group activities of stories, games or songs to support children learning English as an additional language. They ask good open-ended questions, engage children in talking about their play and learning and add vocabulary.
• Children learning English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support. Those responsible for their development use extensive monitoring and good strategies to fully include all children and ensure that they make successful progress. Leaders work closely with schools and parents to help ensure a smooth transition, which meets children's individual needs well.
• Staff focus appropriately on children's prime areas of development, building step by step on what they can already do and preparing them successfully for school. Children become confident and independent through daily routines and staff's sensitive support. From arrival, children place their belongings where they need to go, so they know where to get them when needed. However, staff do not always enable children to solve problems for themselves to develop their critical-thinking skills further.
• Children behave well. Staff use positive reinforcement and good support for children to learn to manage their emotions and any conflict. Parents particularly mention their children's progress in social skills since attending the setting. They confirm the good exchange of information and support for learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more effectively for using the school grounds so that children are always engaged in purposeful play and learning
• focus staff development on challenging children more, by using trial and error to solve problems and extend their critical thinking.