Potterspury Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children quickly settle to play when they arrive. They are happy to see the staff and their friends. Children who are new to the setting receive gentle support and encouragement from staff to help them to develop a sense of belonging in the pre-school. Staff are sensitive in their interactions with children and adapt to meet their different levels of development. Appropriate next steps in learning are identified for individual children, and staff successfully help children work towards these as they play with them. For example, staff consistently demonstrate sign language that some children are learning, such as how to sign thank you, and they say the word as they sign.

Children are excited to join in with songs and rhymes, and they enthusiastically copy the actions staff demonstrate to their favourites. Staff help children listen to the song, and they learn how to follow instructions when they use two sticks to tap together. Children know when to tap their sticks quickly, slowly, loudly and quietly. Overall, children become fully engaged in their activities and show sustained concentration. Children watch staff as they show them how they can make a character from a favourite story using sticks, leaves and pipe cleaners. Children copy staff when they twist pipe cleaners around their own model to make arms for their character.

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

• Since the last inspection, the staff have successfully implemented positive changes to improve children's safety. They have developed a curriculum that promotes children's learning effectively. Staff work well together and support each other's well-being. The committee are involved and available to the staff for further support if required. Staff are regaining confidence; they feel valued and have refreshed relevant training to ensure that their knowledge stays up to date. However, staff supervision and coaching are not yet fully embedded to ensure their individual professional development needs are fully met.
• Staff know the children well. They discuss together what they want children to learn so that all staff understand the purpose of the activities they supervise. This effective communication results in staff being supportive in their interactions. For example, children who are developing their physical skills, such as balance and co-ordination are supported well by staff. Staff set up balancing beams outside and encourage children to try and balance. They give them praise for their efforts and achievements.
• Overall, staff successfully engage children in play, and children enjoy the staff's involvement with them. Staff talk to children about what they are doing and ask meaningful questions that help children to think about how they can further extend their interest. On occasion, however, staff do not pick up when children indicate that they want to play with them and only briefly interact to acknowledge them and then move away. This sometimes results in children losing interest and not remaining focused on their play and learning.
• Staff have a clear and positive approach to support children's positive behaviour. They comment when children are playing well with their friends and being kind. Staff remind children of the expectations for behaviour and talk to children about their feelings. Staff support those who are less confident with their speaking to indicate on picture cards how they are feeling. This helps to promote children's learning about recognising their own feelings.
• Children benefit from the staff's caring manner, and they build positive relationships with them. Staff recognise when children need reassurance and check with them that they are okay. Children are confident to approach staff for cuddles, which are warmly given by the staff, who help children settle back to their play. Children's self esteem is promoted. They eagerly listen at the end of the session to find out who has been the star of the day and all clap to celebrate their friend's achievement.
• Staff work closely with parents; they are proactive and swift in identifying when children may need additional support. Ongoing communication with parents ensures that they feel involved in their child's learning, and parents are supported with ways they can continue their child's learning at home. The partnership working with parents and other agencies who are involved with children is effective. This contributes to children receiving a consistent approach and their individual needs being met.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed the system for the supervision and monitoring of staff's professional development to continue to improve their skills and knowledge
• strengthen staff's skills so that interactions with children consistently support them to sustain their interest and concentration.