Scalliwags Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settle very quickly. Staff welcome and greet them warmly. Children feel comfortable and safe in this nurturing environment, which is organised and ready for their day. They begin to explore and make choices from a range of resources and demonstrate good attitudes towards learning. Children are confident and clearly communicate their needs and opinions to staff. They calmly talk and share experiences of events they have experienced at home, describing what they liked and enjoyed.

Children's communication and language development are good. Staff take time to offer new language so that children hear words that help to increase their vocabulary. They encourage children to actively listen and to take part in discussions. Children enjoy reading a range of books and confidently repeat familiar phrases. For example, children confidently use words such as 'bang', 'colourful' and 'up in the sky' to describe their experience of fireworks.

Children learn to manage their self-care needs independently. For instance, they competently wash their hands and put their coats on at home time. Children help with small tasks, such as clearing up after meals. This helps them to gain a sense of responsibility and develop their independence in readiness for school.

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

• Staff support children well through various stages of transition, such as when they start at the pre-school. There is a clear procedure and strategies in place to support each child, and parents are regularly updated at every step of the process. The key person ensures children's individual needs are met effectively. This provides the security for children to become settled and absorbed in their learning and play.
• Staff promote children's good health. Children learn to make healthy choices about their food and enjoy eating a variety of fruits during snack time. Staff support parents to ensure that children's packed lunches are nutritious. Children learn about the importance of cleaning their teeth every day.
• The manager ensures that the curriculum is broad and takes account of all areas of learning. She identifies children's individual strengths and plans activities that build on their abilities to help them make good progress at their own pace. Children learn to recognise their names and have opportunities to practise their early writing skills. They learn about numbers and counting as they weigh flour to make dough.
• Staff have good knowledge of children's learning development. They pay attention to children's interests and extend on their knowledge. Staff recognise when children need extra help with their learning. They observe and assess what children can do to identify their next steps. Staff are skilled at supporting children who speak English as an additional language. They work with parents so that children benefit from a shared approach to developing their spoken English.
• Children behave well. They say 'please' and 'thank you' and speak politely to each other during play. For example, children invite their peers to join in their play. Staff manage children's behaviour and remind them of their expectations. For example, children know to use their 'walking feet' indoors and praise them for listening to the instructions. This helps children to develop a sense of what is right.
• The manager continues to evaluate her approach to enhance provision and making improvements that support children's development. She takes into account the views of parents and staff, and the needs of children. For example, she added objects that children brought in from home to the home corner area at the pre-school. This helps children to feel secure and contributes to their sense of belonging.
• The manager provides supervision meetings and ensures staff have regular opportunities for training. Staff work well together and say they enjoy working at the pre-school. However, the manager has not sought further ways to help all staff develop a deep knowledge of teaching and learning that consistently supports children in purposeful play.
• Parents are very happy and delighted with the pre-school and the service they receive. They comment highly on the support from staff and the strategies that are put in place during their children's settling in, ensuring a smooth transition.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the already good practice and seek further ways to help all staff provide high-quality teaching to consistently support the play and learning experiences for children.