Pre-School Of Excellence Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe, happy and secure in this nurturing environment. They love coming to nursery and are greeted warmly. Staff engage children quickly and support their learning and guide their play with questioning, praise and encouragement. Children enjoy scooping, mixing and pouring porridge oats as they explore the story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. They demonstrate high levels of concentration and motivation to learn.

Children are confident communicators and learn new words quickly. They retell stories using exciting language and expression. Staff are good role models for new vocabulary and read stories in engaging ways. Children love reading and laugh and smile as staff act out the 'big, bad wolf' in the puppet show. Staff foster independence and encourage children to do things for themselves. Children maintain attention and demonstrate good fine motor skills as they cut and prepare the fruit for snack time.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They consistently follow the golden rules and remind children to use their 'walking feet' and 'kind hands'. Staff support children's emotional development and help them to use emotion words to express themselves, describe their feelings and regulate their behaviour.

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

• Children demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning and enjoy exploring the outdoor area. They climb the steps on the slide with confidence and laugh and smile as they swing on the roundabout. They use their own ideas to fill bowls and jugs with water from the tap, and explore how the water flows, splashes and drips.
• The routine is embedded and children always know what is coming next. Staff use visuals and prompts consistently to support children's understanding and language development.
• Staff identify where children may be falling behind and need additional support. They work closely with outside agencies, put targets and plans in place and adapt the routine. However, staff do not always respond effectively in the moment to meet each child's individual needs and extend their learning.
• Staff encourage children to lead healthy lifestyles. They choose from a variety of snacks and enjoy healthy cooking experiences. They know that exercise is important for their health as they stretch and breathe in their yoga sessions or ride bikes and cars around the garden. Children have a good understanding of oral hygiene as they brush their teeth for two minutes at nursery every day and know what foods are good for them.
• Children have well-developed listening and attention skills. They enjoy singing a repertoire of songs, learning the days of the week and welcoming their friends. They follow instructions well and are helpful. They enjoy being trolley and snack monitors. Children feel valued and have a strong sense of belonging as they celebrate their achievements and help each other.
• Parents speak highly of this nursery and are happy with the communication and updates they receive. They know what progress their children have made and are so pleased with how well they have settled. They know how to support them at home and enjoy borrowing books and talking about the pictures that are sent home to encourage speech and language.
• Leaders and managers are dedicated to improving outcomes for children. They identify areas of improvement and are reflective in their plans for development. They plan an ambitious curriculum for all children, embracing cultural diversity and broadening children's knowledge of the world around them. They host art exhibitions, grow their own vegetables and have visitors, like firefighters, from the local community. Managers have a clear vision of what they want children to learn and how they prepare them for the next stage of education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to improve staff's skills and knowledge so they can monitor and support children's learning more effectively and ensure the experiences and the environment provide even further opportunities to extend ideas and learning through play.