Priory Parkside Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are secure and settled. They thoroughly enjoy attending this warm, welcoming pre-school. Children reflect staff's enthusiasm and excitement. For instance, children listen intently and follow instructions as they enthusiastically join in with a parachute activity. They move the parachute slowly and quickly, working together to keep small balls on top of it. Activities such as this also help children to develop their physical skills, such as control and coordination. Children have positive attitudes and persevere at tasks. For example, they are pleased when they learn how to catch fish using magnetic fishing rods. Children are kind and caring, for instance, passing one another toys and readily taking turns. They learn about their community and other ways of life, for example through fundraising events and activities to celebrate festivals.

Staff understand the possible effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns. They noted that children's communication skills were a weaker area and offer additional support to develop these skills. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For instance, they learn how to use scissors and other tools safely and effectively. Children have opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. For example, they use role-play dentist equipment and practise cleaning model teeth.

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

• Staff use secure procedures to assess what children have learned and plan what they need to learn next. The manager closely monitors this, ensuring that all children make good progress. She supports staff in quickly identifying where children need extra help, making sure that no child falls behind. The manager has a very good knowledge of each child and uses additional funding effectively to offer children further opportunities that promote their development.
• The manager offers staff regular supervision, enabling them to review and develop their work. The manager and staff complete additional training, putting any new knowledge into practice. For example, they have developed their understanding of how life events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can affect children, and take this into account in their interactions with children.
• Staff understand the importance of supporting children to develop their communication skills. All children learn basic sign language. This aids early communication and particularly supports children who speak English as an additional language. Staff interact well with children, helping them to become confident in speaking. Older children use their good language skills, for example, as they explain their drawings, confidently describing 'rectangles' and 'hexagons'.
• Children show an enthusiastic enjoyment of books. For example, children act out a favourite story outside. They laugh as they eagerly remember the words, going on to discuss the difference between 'under', 'over' and 'through'.
• The manager and staff have an exceptionally sensitive understanding of each child. They adapt routines and the play areas to meet children's needs and ensure that children are secure, happy and comfortable. This sensitive approach particularly aids children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and they make good progress.
• Children have many opportunities to remember and practise what they have learned. For example, at the end of their singing session, children competently state the names of the songs and characters as the staff member puts the prompts back into the bag.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They feel that staff genuinely care about the children and offer them good support in settling and building friendships. Parents report that staff communicate well with them, listening carefully to what parents say and helping them to build on their children's learning.
• The routines during periods of transition, such as lunchtime, are not always as well organised as possible. At these times, children's play is sometimes interrupted and some children become restless and are not able to engage fully in the routines and learning opportunities.
• Staff generally offer children support in developing their independence. However, on occasion, staff do things for children that they could do themselves, such as pouring their water and putting children's coats on for them. This sometimes confuses children and does not promote their independence to the optimum.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to better manage periods of transition, such as mealtimes and when children are waiting to go home
• support staff to consistently follow the pre-school's agreed approaches to promoting children's independence.