Scotter Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and excited to learn in the carefully planned environment created by staff. Staff build close bonds with all children, who happily seek a cuddle for reassurance when needed. This supports children to feel safe and secure. Children listen closely and respond politely to staff, using the words 'please' and 'thank you'. They follow staff's instructions, such as when lining up ready to go outside and eating the healthy food from their packed lunch first. Children are independent and consistently encouraged by staff to try things for themselves. They develop a sense of responsibility through daily tasks, such as cutting their own fruit at snack time and washing their plates without support.

Children make choices from a wide range of resources. They become deeply absorbed in imaginative play. Staff challenge children to develop many skills while creating a role-play beauty salon. Children practise their writing skills as they make marks that represent clients' names and appointments. They develop their hand muscles as they squeeze and move the hair straighteners through staff's hair and state that they look 'beautiful'. Children work together to pamper staff and confidently share their ideas. They serve staff play food and drinks and explain that they can only make 'healthy milkshakes'. Children laugh hysterically as they put huge rollers in a member of staff's hair.

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

• Staff have a good knowledge of children's learning and development needs, including those who may need additional support. They observe children throughout the day to assess what they know and can do and to identify what they need to learn next. Staff focus their support on any potential gaps in children's learning and experiences.
• Staff plan engaging opportunities that centre around children's learning needs and interests. They encourage children to help with setting up activities, which means that they play an active part in planning the experiences that take place. Children show deep concentration while planting seeds in the garden and learning about germination. Older children discuss how drinking dirty water could make them poorly. They explain why it is important not to water the plants too much, while younger children practise using tools to dig and move the soil.
• Staff are skilled practitioners. They develop children's communication and language from a young age through their interactions. Staff repeat key words and explain new vocabulary to children, giving them enough time to think and ask questions. For example, while children help staff to tip and pour water, oil, and flour to make play dough, staff explain when the jug has reached maximum capacity and cannot hold any more.
• Overall, children develop friendships with others. They listen to each other and wait their turn to talk during group time. Children hold their friends' hands to help them on the climbing frame. However, at times, children struggle to share with others independently and need a lot of adult support to resolve conflicts, such as when they want the same toy.
• Children usually behave well. They respect the resources in the pre-school and help staff to put them away when they have finished playing. Children follow familiar daily tasks, such as washing and drying their hands and putting their used paper towel in the bin. However, occasionally, staff are not clear about what they expect of children's behaviour, and there are times when children are unoccupied and start to display unwanted behaviours.
• Staff find out about children's home lives, cultures and beliefs. They encourage children to talk about what makes them unique. Children discuss similarities and differences as they listen to a story. They learn about places and people around the world and share their experiences of things they have seen while on holiday.
• Leaders and managers are passionate about providing high-quality care for children. The well-established leadership team creates an environment where staff evaluate children's experiences to make improvements. All staff access a broad range of training to further develop their knowledge and skills.
• Parents and carers say that the pre-school is an integral part of the community and centres around each family's needs. They comment that they appreciate the thorough handover of information each day. Parents say that children thrive because staff 'go the extra mile' to support their learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with further support in managing and expressing their feelings to enable them to independently resolve conflicts with others
• improve the organisation of daily routines and minimise the time children spend unoccupied to allow them to remain engaged in their chosen play.