Play Place The Ark

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at pre-school and are greeted by the enthusiastic and nurturing staff. They are sensitive to children's emotional well-being and take time to find out about their interests. This means that most children are happy and confident when they arrive. Each session starts with a song and story as there is a strong focus on children developing a love of books. They explore concepts such as feelings, and follow these up during adult-led activities. For example, as children paint, staff talk about how colours make them feel, so that children can embed prior learning.

Staff plan a fun and varied curriculum. For example, children go on the bus into the town centre to buy snacks and resources for activities. Trips take place on different days so that all children, including those who attend part time, have these experiences. This ensures that all children can learn about the diverse community in which they live. Children engage well in their play, and staff are positive role models for children. They work in collaboration to build a dinosaur swamp, adding sand and water. Children talk about why the cardboard has turned soft, and staff introduce vocabulary such as 'soggy'. These playful interactions help children to make good progress in their social and language development.

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

• Staff plan a well-sequenced curriculum throughout the pre-school. They carefully consider the different ages and specific needs of the children. For example, younger children use chunky brushes to paint on tinfoil, while older children lay on the floor and use pencils to draw on large paper. Outside, there are chalks to make patterns. Staff support children to develop their mark-making skills in preparation for early writing.
• Staff engage in meaningful conversation with the children. They find out what is important to them and use this information to develop their learning. For instance, when children say that they have been on a train ride, staff provide trains as a group activity. This helps children to recall and remember while sharing their lived experiences.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is good. Staff use effective observation to make quick referrals for support. They work with parents and other professionals to ensure that children get the help that they need. For example, information provided by specialists helps staff to build appropriate interventions into play. This joined-up approach means that children make the best possible progress against their targets.
• Staff work hard to build relationships with families. Parents greatly enjoy the monthly stay-and-play sessions that staff organise. They like to see what their children have been doing in pre-school. However, staff do not ensure that all parents are aware of who their child's key person is. This means that some families do not know the important role of the key person working with their children.
• Staff encourage the children to behave well. When playing hide and seek, staff remind children to take turns. However, sometimes, staff do not explain why they have asked the children to do something. For example, they do not explain why they should not stand on chairs or why they should wash their hands before eating. This means that children do not always develop an understanding of why behaviours are expected.
• Children have lots of opportunities to develop their mathematical skills. Staff introduce children to number from an early age, in appropriate ways. For example, staff encourage children to help them complete a head count. They count to 10 and beyond with confidence. These experiences give children a secure base knowledge of mathematics.
• Staff feed back that they very much enjoy working at the pre-school and feel part of the organisation's family. A robust supervision programme places great importance on staff well-being and professional development. Staff can access specific training to support them in their role, such as autism awareness. This means that staff can provide children with specific needs the care that they require.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build further on relationships with parents to strengthen the key-person system
• support staff to give consistently clear messages so that children know and understand the expectations for their behaviour.