Ridings Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the pre-school full of enthusiasm and excitement. They understand and follow the daily routine. As children arrive, they take off their coats and place them on their pegs. They put their lunch boxes in a box and wash their hands. They patiently wait their turn while chatting to their friends.

Children quickly settle and confidently move around the rooms selecting what they want to play with from a range of interesting opportunities. Children enjoy playing outside and use the equipment safely. They learn new skills, such as how they can use their arms to help them balance as they walk on planks and learn how to change direction.

Children are eager to take part in activities and have a positive attitude to their learning. They concentrate for long periods and staff respond to what children say and do. This is evident as children want to find out about crabs. Together, staff and children use the internet and find out about how crabs move and what they eat. Staff introduce new words, such as 'pincers', and use these words to encourage the children to draw their own crabs. Children hold crayons with control and count how many legs their crabs have, which develops their small-muscle skills and number skills.

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

• The manager is reflective and supports her staff. She carries out inductions as staff start at the pre-school, so they can develop a thorough understanding of their roles and responsibilities. She conducts staff supervision sessions and encourages them to undertake training to help improve their practice and bring new ideas to the pre-school. One of these new ideas is the forest school. Here, the staff support children to be more adventurous outside and develop their physical skills further. For example, they build up their confidence to venture down a mud slide.
• Staff focus on supporting children's language and early literacy skills in preparation for their future learning. Children listen attentively to stories and remember phases from them, such as 'the peas are dangerous' from the story about a 'super potato'. They repeat words in songs and hold conversations about, for example, cooking crispy cakes at home. They learn letter sounds using jigsaws, and some older children confidently write their names.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school and report on the progress their children make. Parents know what their child needs to learn next and say that they feel well informed about how to help their child's learning at home. Staff work with parents and professionals when children have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They take prompt action to identify concerns and support them accordingly.
• Staff find out about the experiences children have at home, so they can broaden these at the pre-school. For example, staff identify that some children do not socialise with other children. Therefore, they support children's social skills through routines and activities to encourage them to play with others. They introduce activities to help children learn about how to look after themselves in the event of an accident. For instance, they take part in first-aid activities, where children learn to put on slings and bandages.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They teach children right from wrong and gently remind them to follow the rules and boundaries in place, such as not running inside. They encourage children to tidy away the toys they use, which the children do willingly. Staff help children to manage their emotions and introduce well-being sessions to encourage children to relax. These involve children doing yoga and giving each other a massage.
• Children develop a good understanding of personal hygiene and develop good independence skills, in readiness for school. They discuss with staff how germs can make you sick and why it is important to brush your teeth. Children help themselves to their fruit for snack and say 'please' and 'thank you' when getting their drink from the staff.
• The manager has clear views of what she wants children to learn and provides an exciting curriculum. Staff consider children's interests and prior learning as they join children in their play and support their desire to learn. However, some staff are less clear on what skills and knowledge they want children to gain through the activities the children choose.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the staff's knowledge of the curriculum intent so that they are clear about what skills and knowledge they want children to gain from activities and experiences.