Prebend Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff support children to understand when the routines of the day change, helping them to feel secure and understand what happens next. This includes staff giving children clear instructions, which they follow, such as to tidy away toys.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by staff. Individual targeted plans are identified and implemented by staff to meet children's individual needs. This includes children being supported to concentrate during group times and to follow routines, such as to sit down when they eat their lunch.

Staff plan activities and provide age-appropriate resources to help children develop the muscles in their hands, in preparation for early writing when they move on to school. Older children use scissors to cut tissue paper with increasing skill and accuracy. Staff show younger children how to hold and use the scissors correctly. Children show pride in their achievements, when they successfully cut tissue paper to create shapes.

Children gain an understanding of the world around them. They learn how to look after plants and remember that plants need water and soil to grow. Staff introduce mathematical concepts. They show children how they can measure plants growing in the garden. Children identify which plant is the biggest.

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

• Staff explain to children the rules and boundaries in the pre-school, helping them understand what is expected of them. Staff are good role models for children and model clear and consistent messages to help them understand why these are in place. This includes reminding children to walk indoors and not run. Children show that they understand why they should walk indoors, explaining to visitors that if they run, they might trip over a toy and hurt themselves.
• Overall, staff support children's communication and language skills well. Staff plan small-group times, where children are asked to talk about the pictures they see in books. However, on other occasions, such as during some craft activities and mealtimes, the support children receive from staff is not as effective. For example, staff's interactions and questioning does not fully support children to build on their speaking skills.
• Staff plan a curriculum to support children's physical development. This includes showing children how to move their bodies in different ways to create yoga poses. Children stand on one leg as they pretend to be a tree and balance on tiptoes, helping to develop their balance and coordination. Additionally, staff help children to learn the impact of exercise on their bodies. For example, staff show children how to feel their heart rate and explain how this increases when they do physical activities.
• Children are supported to be independent. For example, staff arrange resources that enable children to access what they want to promote their interests. For example, children select paper and pencils when they want to draw pictures. Furthermore, at lunchtime, staff ask children to take care of their own belongings, such as their lunch boxes.
• Staff ensure that children follow hand-hygiene routines, such as before they eat and after using the toilet. However, staff do not fully support children to understand the importance of looking after their teeth to further promote their understanding of how they can keep their bodies healthy.
• Staff invite parents to attend meetings to discuss their children's learning. They share photos of their children engaged in activities. This helps to keep parents informed about their children's development.
• Additional funding that some children receive is used effectively to meet their individual needs. For example, when children show an interest in playing in the role-play area, staff introduce additional resources into this area to help develop children's social skills, as they play alongside their peers.
• Staff promote children's safety well, such as when they play outdoors in hot weather and use equipment. For example, they talk to children about why they need to wear hats and sun cream. Furthermore, staff show children how to use knives safely as they use these to butter crackers at snack time.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to build on their interactions and questioning skills to further support children's speaking skills
• strengthen opportunities for children to understand the importance of looking after their teeth.