Ravenshead Preschool Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the pre-school with their parents or carers. They hang their belongings up, then turn to wave as their parents leave. Children confidently make their way to the carpet and sit down. Staff support children who need help to settle and join the group. Within group time, children are given the choice of songs they would like to sing. Throughout the day, children continue to choose resources to play with and explore. They are happy and engage with their environment well. Children giggle and laugh with their friends and staff frequently. As they build using plastic bricks, they get frustrated when they cannot get a piece to fit. Staff support children to persevere. Children call, 'did it!' when they manage to press it on successfully.

Children behave well as staff support them when they need gentle reminders. Children follow the staff's modelling as they remind each other how to behave. For example, children put their finger to their mouth and say, 'sssh' at snack time when their friends are too noisy. Children are polite to one another and the staff. They say, 'pardon' when they do not hear what has been said to them. Children learn to respect one another. They work together to successfully manoeuvre a bicycle with an additional seat around the garden. One child pedals while the other sits behind and pushes with their feet.

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

• The managers and the staff understand child development and what they want children to learn. They use children's interests, alongside topics throughout the year, to plan the environment to cover the areas of the early years foundation stage.
• Children are supported towards independence. Staff encourage children to wipe their noses with a tissue. Children take themselves to the toilet and gain support from staff if needed. At snack time, children are given a plate, crumpet and butter with a knife. Staff encourage children to spread their butter on their crumpets before they eat.
• Children develop mathematical skills. When children line up to go outside, staff encourage children to count how many are present. At group times, staff clap in time as they count and encourage children to join in. Within play experiences, staff encourage children to find numbers and use the language of size. Staff frequently use 'more' and 'less' within children's play to help them identify different quantities.
• Children enjoy being physical and moving their bodies in different ways. For example, as children sit at the top of the slide, they count 'three, two, one, go' before they slide down. Children run around, jump on trampolines, balance on beams, push bicycles, scoot, pedal and climb. Inside children are encouraged to use small tools to punch holes in leaves. Children join in with staff as they dance to music and move their bodies in a variety of ways.
• Children's communication and language are supported. Staff read stories and sing with the children using different tones and sounds. They use simple sign language, slow their speech and use single words. Staff repeat what children say and use repetitive words to expose children to new vocabulary more often. Staff model how to communicate and use simple sentences that children can use. For example, staff support children to ask for help; they say, 'help please', and children repeat this back.
• Children's emotions are supported. When they notice their coat is broken, they tell staff they are sad. Staff ask if there is anything they can do to make them feel happy again. While children play in the water, they think they see a spider and get upset. Staff give a reassuring hug to support children to feel safe. This helps children to carry on playing.
• Parents share how happy they are with the pre-school. They say the staff are nurturing and supportive of the children and their needs, as well as of them as a family. Parents feel comfortable speaking with staff, and have had meetings to support their children's next steps. They comment on strategies the pre-school offers them to try and tasks to help with learning at home.
• Generally, children know what staff expect of them. For example, when children get ready to go inside or outside, they make a line. At lunchtime, they find their mats and sit down to eat their packed lunch. However, expectations staff have for parts of the routine are not consistent. As a result, some children lose interest or become distracted. For example, at group times, some children stand up while some sit down, and staff are not fully clear on what they expect children to do.
• The staff build positive relationships with the children. They join children in their play and know the children well. Staff identify appropriate next steps for children's learning. However, within some staff interactions, children are not fully supported to learn beyond what they already know or can do.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop their interactions with children to further extend children's learning beyond what they already know
• support staff to be consistent with their behaviour expectations.