Saint Jerome's Pre-School Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy spending time at this nurturing and welcoming setting. They form close bonds with staff and with their peers. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure here. They are greeted warmly by staff in the morning and are excited to explore the activities as soon as they arrive. Children are enthralled as a tractor visits the setting. They look in amazement at the size of the wheels and learn about the different parts of a tractor. These interesting activities help children gain a thirst for learning from a young age.

Children behave well. They are kind and caring. For example, they make room for their friends on the carpet. Older children readily help younger children to balance across the outdoor beams. Staff treat children with the utmost respect. They listen attentively when children are talking and provide children with plenty of one-to-one interaction. This helps children to become confident communicators.

The leadership team has created a broad and balanced curriculum. Children benefit from a breadth of first-hand experiences. For example, children watch ducklings hatch from their eggs in the setting. They hold them gently and learn how to care for animals. These opportunities help children to learn about life cycles and nature.

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

• Children's behaviour is good. They respond to staff directions positively and follow their instructions well. For example, staff show children visual prompts for good sitting and good listening before larger group activities. This helps children to understand the behaviour expectations before activities begin.
• Children have opportunities to enhance their growing independence. They serve their own snack and carry their plates to the snack table. Children pour their own drinks and hang their own coats up. These opportunities help to prepare children for the next stage in their learning and eventual move to school.
• Physical development is promoted well. Children have copious amounts of space to run around. They show excellent control as they ride around the outdoor area on balance bicycles and tricycles. This helps to develop children's large-muscle movements.
• Parent partnerships are a key strength of this setting. Parents are actively involved in the setting. For example, they are invited to take part in first-aid training. Parents and carers are invited into the setting to read stories to the children. Children use the lending library to share books with their family at home. These strong relationships help to provide continuity in children's learning.
• The management team completes regular staff supervisions. Staff agree targets to help to further improve their practice. They are able to access a range of training opportunities to enhance their professional development. Staff feel that their well-being is prioritised in this setting.
• Staff know children well. They understand where children are up to in their development and plan activities that interest the children. Children are thoroughly engaged as they work together to turn over logs to find minibeasts. They look carefully at the minibeasts they have found with their magnifying glasses. Staff introduce children to new vocabulary as they play with them, sing songs and share stories. All children make good progress in their learning.
• Children gain a good understanding of nature, including life cycles of plants and animals. However, staff do not provide enough opportunities for children to learn about people, communities and cultures that may be different to their own.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, are supported well. Staff identify potential areas of need and use funding effectively to benefit each child to whom it is allocated. However, staff have not forged positive links with other settings children attend. They do not share information about children's development with other settings children attend in order to promote greater consistency in children's learning and experiences.
• Mathematical development is promoted well. Staff help children to count out the treasure they have found with their metal detectors. They support children to recognise shapes in their environment. Opportunities such as these help children to make good progress in their mathematical development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance opportunities for children to learn about other cultures, people and communities that may be different to their own
• share information about children's learning with other settings children attend.