Roche Pre-School Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff warmly greet children and their families as they arrive at pre-school, and children settle quickly. Staff prepare a broad range of activities for children to support their learning. For example, staff help children to explore the concepts of floating and sinking as children scoop apples in the water tray. Staff encourage children to use their imagination as they dig for buried treasure in the sandpit. Staff promote children's language development as they sing 'The Wheels on the Bus' while enacting going on a journey with children. Children choose to spend most of their time in the richly resourced outdoor area, engaging in activities that interest them. This supports the development of their independence and curiosity.

Staff encourage children to behave well. They help children to share toys fairly and show kindness to others. Children enjoy playing with each other and are developing friendships. Staff help children to make healthy choices. They encourage children to try different foods at snack time and help them to apply sunscreen. Children also learn about oral hygiene as they brush dirty model teeth and talk to staff about the importance of brushing their own teeth at home.

Parents are happy with the care and education provided by staff and feel that their children have made good progress. They mention that children have developed their language skills and grown in confidence. Children are happy and engaged at the pre-school. They have positive relationships with staff and are ready for the next steps in their education.

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

• Staff prioritise children's emotional well-being. Key persons form trusting relationships with all children in their care. Staff sensitively prepare children for change as they start pre-school or move to a new room. They seek and share detailed information about children with their families, and adopt a very flexible approach. Children demonstrate that they are happy and feel secure.
• Staff know the children extremely well. They use this knowledge to provide activities according to children's interests and needs. The highly individualised curriculum supports children's engagement and the achievement of their next steps. All children make good progress across all areas of learning.
• Staff prepare an interesting environment for children to explore. This ignites children's curiosity and supports their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. For example, children use their sense of smell to identify different herbs as they make 'herbal teas' in the mud kitchen. They learn about how things work as they explore using old computers and video players in the playhouse. However, staff do not consistently support children in extending their ideas and thinking. Occasionally, children's learning is restricted by the quantity of resources available and the play of others.
• Staff support children's language and communication skills in different ways. For example, they extend children's sentences and introduce new vocabulary. Leaders have introduced a targeted speech and language programme for children over three years of age. Older children are keen to communicate and are growing in confidence. Staff encourage young children to repeat back words while reading books and to name animals as they complete simple puzzles. However, this is not consistent and, at times, the language used by staff is too complex for younger children.
• Staff frequently read books to children to support their language development and knowledge of the world. Children of different ages enjoy looking at books together. While reading with a member of staff, older children talk animatedly about the animals in the story, and younger children listen intently to the conversation and join in making animal noises. Children show a keen interest in stories. They look at books, independently turning pages and talking about the pictures. They enact stories in role play, delighting in chasing each other as they go on a 'bear hunt'. Children's early literacy skills are developing well.
• Children's physical development is good. Children enjoy yoga sessions to support the development of their coordination and core strength. Young children learn to negotiate the outdoor space quickly. They learn to pull themselves up, balance and climb using specialised equipment in the baby room.
• Senior leaders regularly evaluate the efficacy of the setting, adapting practices to meet the needs of all children. Leaders support the staff team well. They take account for their well-being and encourage staff to work to their strengths. Leaders ensure that staff attend regular training and have the skills they need to carry out their roles effectively. Staff are becoming more self-reflective, considering ways that they can improve their own practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the support for spoken language for children aged two to three years old
• ensure that children have opportunities to engage in play and learning for extended periods of time
• implement teaching strategies to extend children's ideas and thinking further.