Playhouse Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and excited. They settle well in this calm and nurturing pre-school. They form strong bonds with staff, and this helps children feel safe and secure. Staff implement strong routines for children that support their independence. Children come in and change into their indoor shoes; they hang up their coats and put their lunch boxes and water bottles away with very little support.

The manager has a clear and ambitious curriculum in place. Children have a love for nursery rhymes, and staff regularly sing with them. Staff use this interest to secure children's numeracy. Children make 'five little ducks' using play dough; they decorate the ducks and add googly eyes. Children develop their hand-to-eye coordination. Staff encourage children to recite the nursery rhyme, counting back from five to one. All staff understand the curriculum intent and plan meaningful learning opportunities for children. This helps children to make good progress.

Staff and leaders encourage children's curiosity. In the garden, children use spades to dig in the mud. They find worms and snails and create habitats for the creatures. Staff share their behaviour expectations with children, encouraging being kind and considerate when caring for creatures. Children talk about being 'gentle' and walk slowly when they carry the worm habitat around. Children are highly motivated and remain engaged for long periods of time.

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

• Staff's high-quality interactions develop children's communication skills well. Staff model role play and widen children's vocabulary. They talk to children about the difference between 'injuries' and 'illness' while they pretend to visit the doctor's surgery. Staff check children's understanding while they treat 'patients' and use the words children have learned in context.
• Staff value and promote children's understanding of equality and diversity well. Staff talk to children about people who need help at home. During role play, staff talk to children about people who need additional support, such as babies or people who use a wheelchair. Children successfully learn about others in the community and develop an understanding and appreciation of diversity.
• Staff understand how to promote children's critical thinking skills. During key-person focus time, children use a variety of construction materials to build a wall for 'Humpty Dumpty'. They make predictions about the safest place for 'Humpty Dumpty' to sit. Children talk to staff about their findings and conclude what features make a wall more safe and secure. The key-person system is very well established, which supports children to be confident and inquisitive.
• Staff promote an understanding of behaviour rules. Children behave well and respect the staff; they listen and respond well to instructions. Movement between activities is swift, children are keen to help with tidying up and know what to expect next. Occasionally, staff do not manage minor conflicts between children well. For example, they use timers to help children to take turns with toys; however, this can interrupt and limit children's play and upset them.
• Parents speak highly of the staff team and the level of support provided for them and their children. They talk positively about the improvement in children's communication and language skills and their self-care. Parents talk about the benefits of conversations and meetings they have termly with their child's key person. This enhances the two-way flow of communication about progress and children's next steps in learning.
• Leaders meet with staff regularly to discuss children's progress and identify staff training needs. Leaders provide staff with extra support to plan intervention for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work with external agencies to identify appropriate strategies to support children's good progress. Staff comment positively about how leaders support their professional development and well-being.
• Staff encourage children to become independent in their self-care, ready for their move to school. Children use the toilets independently, and staff talk to the children about the importance of washing hands. Children know where to find tissues, how to clean their noses and to put the tissues into the bin. Staff offer to help children if they need support, and they praise their efforts.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the effectiveness of strategies and support staff's understanding of how to help children resolve conflict.