Romanby Pre-School & The Cabin Crew Out of School Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff warmly welcome children and families as they arrive at pre-school. They know children very well, which helps them to quickly settle children into the routines of the day. Children, including new starters, have positive relationships with their key person. They are confident to reach out to staff to meet their needs or just to have a cuddle. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children demonstrate wonderful manners and behaviour. Staff are positive role models for children, which helps children to understand what is expected of them. Staff and children work together to find amicable solutions if disagreements do occur.

Staff gather information from parents when children first start at the pre-school. They use this knowledge to provide activities and learning opportunities that they know children will engage with and offer curiosity and exploration to further their learning. For example, when children enjoy pouring and filling in the water, staff introduce a 'hook a duck' game to develop children's hand-eye coordination. Children count out how many ducks they catch, which builds on their counting skills. Children make good progress in their learning and development, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

• Children benefit from a curriculum that provides them with the skills and knowledge that they need for a successful move on to school. Children develop high levels of self-esteem. For instance, they beam with pride when they achieve a challenging task, such as climbing onto the tunnel outdoors.
• Staff praise children for their efforts. They expertly support the development of each child's individual character. Staff champion children's personal interests, so they become experts in what they love and enjoy.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. For instance, they use repetition and repeat words back to children using the correct vocabulary. This enables children to hear and repeat the correct sounds. Staff carefully explain the meaning of words in a calm and clear voice. For example, as staff read stories, they check that children understand what is been read to them. They ask children about their experiences and show genuine interest in what children have to say. This enables children to make good progress in their speech and language development.
• Staff observe and assess children's development effectively. They use children's next steps in development and interests to plan activities to engage children. Staff know children very well. However, despite this, staff complete comprehensive learning journals for all children, which has minimal impact on their decisions when planning for children's learning. This workload often impacts on staff's work-life balance.
• Staff work alongside parents and external agencies to support children with SEND. They review the targeted interventions regularly to ensure that children make good progress in their learning and development. Staff make sure that activities and experiences are inclusive to enable all children's participation.
• Parents express how happy their children are to attend the pre-school. They comment their children recall their experiences of what they do in pre-school. Parents have regular conversations with staff, who provide updates on their children's progress and any next steps in learning they are currently supporting them with.
• Leaders demonstrate a positive commitment to the continued development of the pre-school. They reflect on practice and identify what they do well and the areas that can be developed to enhance children's experiences in their care. All staff have completed a wide variety of training opportunities to help to develop their knowledge and skills.
• Staff teach children from an early age to be independent. Children access tissues to wipe their own nose. They learn about personal hygiene and wash their hands before food and after personal care routines. Children pour their own drinks at mealtimes or access the water fountain when they want a drink. They learn to tidy away their resources and treat them with respect.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the amount of paperwork that staff are required to make of children's progress, to avoid unnecessary burdens on staff's time.