Preston Community Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

When entering the setting, children change their footwear for the session. Staff support children when needed and celebrate their independence. Children participate in a dance activity which they thoroughly enjoy. They move around, waving their chiffon scarves. Staff encourage the children to feel the effects of the physical activity on their hearts and discuss this. Children exclaim, 'It's going boom, boom,' and 'It's beating so fast.' Staff explain how activity is important to keep healthy.

Staff provide a calm, nurturing and caring environment for children. Babies thrive and staff know how to meet their care needs effectively. Babies are confident communicators, and staff respond swiftly when they express their needs. Toddlers enjoy a range of stimulating activities that are based on their interests. They have confidence in accessing resources and show good levels of independence. They move freely between the indoor and the outdoor learning environments. They access activities that promote development in all early years foundation stage curriculum areas. Staff who work with older children help them develop the skills they need to start school. Children show developing levels of concentration and enjoy listening to familiar stories. Staff are good role models for children. They teach them how to be caring, kind, helpful and respectful of each other. Children demonstrate these behaviours and exhibit good social skills.

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

• The curriculum is well sequenced, and staff consider how they help to develop the skills and knowledge of the children they support. This helps children to be ready for their next stage of learning. For example, the gross motor skills of the youngest babies are supported in the new outdoor area.
• Staff help children to develop communication and language skills. Children enjoy singing, which punctuates transition times throughout the day, and they demonstrate listening and attention skills that are appropriate for their age. During learning activities chosen by the children, staff offer lots of praise and encouragement. However, staff do not always act on opportunities to model ambitious vocabulary or expand on children's ideas.
• The manager and staff can clearly explain the purpose of the activities they provide and how they support children to make good progress. They meet monthly to discuss their observations and plan activities that meet children's developing needs and interests.
• The staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and show knowledge of the needs of individual children. However, there is not always consistency in staff's approach to care and support, which can result in children's needs not being met swiftly.
• Staff provide quiet spaces for babies and young children to sleep. This has a positive impact on children's emotional well-being, and they show they feel happy and settled.
• Children have a clear understanding of the pre-school rules. They know they must wash their hands before accessing snack. They self-select fruit and kindly help each other with this. This contributes to them building on their independence and self-help skills.
• Staff are positive role models. They tell each other when they are going outside or taking children to the bathroom. This ensures that children are always well supervised, and it models courtesy and good manners to them. This is reflected in children's behaviour. For example, when children have finished playing with something, they calmly tell their friend, 'Your turn now.'
• Parents are happy with the pre-school. They feel well supported and say the setting supports the whole family, not just the child attending. They appreciate the new online communication system that keeps them informed about their child's development and care needs. Parents consistently comment that their children have made progress, particularly with their social skills.
• Staff say they feel valued by the management team. They have access to a wide range of training and are encouraged to share ideas and suggestions. The manager promotes staff's well-being. She has an open-door policy and recognises the importance of interacting with staff members daily to ensure support is in place as needed.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen communication and language teaching to ensure that children have ambitious vocabulary modelled to them by all staff
• build on existing strategies of support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and ensure consistency in staff's approach to care.