Playwell Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and excited to be at nursery. They eagerly run inside to greet the staff. Children who need reassurance to separate from parents or carers are quickly comforted by a cuddle or a chat with their key person. They then go off readily to play. Children show that they feel safe and secure, as they freely explore the vibrant learning environment and make choices about their play.

Children play harmoniously and develop good friendships. They learn about the languages and cultures of their peers and celebrate a variety of special events together, such as the Coronation of King Charles III. Children enjoy walks in the local area and visits from people who help us, to help them find out about their community. Therefore, they develop respect and tolerance for different people and ways of life.

Staff want all children to achieve well. They provide an ambitious curriculum, which sparks children's curiosity and promotes a love of learning. Children are highly motivated in their play. They are enthusiastic artists and create wonderful pictures, such as painted portraits of the King and chalk drawings of their favourite London landmarks. Staff read to children daily, to develop their love of stories and provide lots of resources to support their pretend play. Therefore, children are highly imaginative and create rich and varied storylines.

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

• Staff know their key children well and talk with genuine enthusiasm about the progress they have made since joining the nursery. They are quick to identify any concerns about children's development and provide additional support, including from outside professionals. This early intervention helps all children, including children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who receive funding, to make good progress.
• The manager places a strong focus on creating a happy and motivated staff team. She understands the value of continuous professional development and ensures that there are regular training opportunities. She has recently achieved a level 5 qualification and explains how this has helped to strengthen her leadership skills. Staff also speak enthusiastically about further training. For example, they describe how they have learnt to incorporate 'sensory circuits' into the routines for children with SEND. They say that this energises children and helps them to concentrate.
• Staff ensure that the learning experiences are playful and fun, they consistently engage with children and support their learning well. For instance, staff skilfully incorporate mathematics throughout the routines and activities. Therefore children demonstrate excellent mathematical knowledge. For instance, they confidently count, measure and compare as they build and construct. They use language relating to time and money in their role play, and solve simple addition and subtraction problems independently.
• Children show pleasure in being active and initiate games which involve vigorous exercise, such as balancing on steppingstones. They become skilled at handling objects, such as paintbrushes and toy tools. This develops the smaller muscle movements they need for writing. Older children demonstrate that they have effective pencil control as they draw detailed pictures and confidently write their names.
• Staff implement some imaginative ways to teach children about their bodies and personal safety. For example, children have fun drawing the outlines of their friends on large paper. They learn to identify parts of their bodies, such as their thighs, elbows and shins, as they stick plasters onto the pictures. This helps them to express clearly if they have hurt themselves or been harmed by somebody else. However, staff could do more to raise children's awareness of how to stay safe when using online technology.
• Staff encourage children's good behaviour and remind them of expectations such as sharing. They are positive role models and help children to settle their occasional disagreements. However, staff miss opportunities to teach children about the possible impact and consequences of their actions. Therefore, children are not always sure about the reasons for boundaries, and why they should moderate their behaviour.
• Parents are delighted with the care and education provided. They comment that staff are genuinely caring and 'go above and beyond' to meet each child's needs. Therefore, their children are happy and feel safe at nursery. Parents appreciate the regular and detailed information about their children's experiences and progression, which helps them to continue their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more consistent support, to help children understand the possible impact of their behaviour and the reasons why boundaries are in place
• further promote children's understanding of how to stay safe when using online technology.