Playways Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff at the pre-school spend time getting to know children's individual personalities. They design an environment that ignites children's interests. Staff ensure that all children have new experiences and explore unfamiliar tools and equipment. Children feel excited to arrive at pre-school. They enjoy exploring the environment as they discover new skills and knowledge.

Staff support children to become independent. Children of all ages help themselves to scissors and glue in the creative area. Children carefully help each other to get tape out of the dispenser. They climb on large equipment outside and excitedly sweep up leaves with brooms. Children try hard when things are tricky. Children of all ages have positive attitudes to learning. They keep going and persevere when things are challenging.

Staff create a truly inclusive culture at the pre-school. Children of all stages of learning join together to access activities. Staff have high expectations of all of the children. They explain these expectations clearly to children. Children learn to be kind to one another and respectful. When children struggle to regulate their emotions, staff provide sensitive support. Children of all ages behave well.

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

• The manager and staff create a curriculum that provides a wide range of experiences for children. Staff share a clear vision. To develop children's communication and social skills and support children's emotional skills at the highest levels. Children build strong relationships with staff and their peers. They rapidly gain the new skills they need to join in with challenging activities. Children have positive attitudes to learning and behave well.
• Staff sequence activities to deepen children's knowledge and skills. For example, children learn what plants need to grow. They explore vegetables at the local allotment and prepare them for snack. Children learn about nature and what foods make them healthy. Children remember long term what they have learnt and talk about their experiences in their play.
• Staff skilfully interact with children. They read stories, sing nursery rhymes and ask challenging questions. Staff have high expectations of children's speaking and listening skills. Children enjoy talking as they learn new words and use them in their play. They develop fluency as they engage in back-and-forth conversations.
• Staff plan focussed activities that support children to learn new skills. Overall children are eager to join in. However, on occasion in focussed activities children are expected to concentrate for too long. For example, children occasionally have to wait for too long for their turn. Children are not always able to remain focussed and deeply engaged.
• Staff regularly assess what children know and can do. They are able to plan a curriculum that focusses on children's learning gaps. Children gain sufficient knowledge and skills in all areas of learning. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Staff understand that it is important for children to learn mark making skills using a variety of tools. However, staff do not always plan the most ambitious opportunities for mark making across the pre-school. For example, staff do not always teach children how to make marks or write their name. Children do not always develop confidence in writing at the highest levels.
• Parents are happy with the care that children receive. They report that staff go above and beyond in supporting them with their child's development at home. For example, the manager works closely with parents to support transition into school. Parents say that the information they receive helps them to extend children's learning at home.
• The manager and staff work together to support children with gaps in their learning. They effectively identify children who need additional support to reach their milestones. They plan activities that support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Where appropriate they work with external agencies to ensure that children receive expert help.
• Staff report high levels of wellbeing. They say that regular opportunities for professional development help them to feel confident. The manager plans training opportunities that help staff to develop their knowledge and skills. Teaching continues to improve over time.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop the planning of focussed activities to support all children to be focus and concentrate at the highest levels
• build on existing good practice to plan the most ambitious opportunities for children to develop mark making skills.