Shining Stars

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly skip through the door each morning and are greeted with warmth. They form strong bonds with the familiar, caring staff. This positive start to the day reflects the pre-school's commitment to nurturing a sense of belonging and emotional well-being. Staff form strong and supportive relationships with the whole family, which helps to ensure that children feel safe, valued and happy in the staff's care.

The curriculum places a strong focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. Staff want children to be independent, to believe in what they can do and to reach their individual potential. Staff observe children at play and assess their abilities. They use their findings to plan activities that build on what children already know and can do. The curriculum supports each child's learning step by step, which helps to ensure that all children make ongoing progress. Those who start with lower skills or confidence make rapid progress and quickly catch up. Children benefit from activities that match their interests and abilities, helping them develop new skills and confidence in what they can do. They are eager to learn. For example, they roll up their sleeves and readily join in a colour-mixing activity that staff have prepared.

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

• Children show strong motivation and concentration during activities. Staff provide appealing and engaging experiences that capture children's interest. For example, children spend lengthy periods exploring flour and water. They work hard to complete puzzles and smile widely when staff praise their efforts, clearly proud of what they can do. These experiences help children to develop persistence, focus and a sense of achievement.
• Mathematics is strong within the curriculum. Staff weave numbers and counting into everyday activities. For example, children trace shapes in sand and measure the bricks in the garden. Children show good skills in this area of learning. They count to five and beyond and enjoy exploring patterns, shapes and sizes in their play.
• Children enjoy playing in nursery and staff join in with their activities, which helps to make children feel supported and included. Children's play is often alongside each other rather than with each other. Most interactions are with adults, and staff do not consistently encourage children to talk, share ideas or work together with their friends. This limits children's opportunities to develop their social and communication skills further.
• There is strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure children receive the support they need to reach their potential. Additional funding is used thoughtfully, for example to provide movement toys and equipment that help to meet children's sensory needs. This supports their engagement and enjoyment in activities.
• The pre-school actively supports children's understanding of diversity. Parents visit the group and share their traditions, such as meals, celebrations and cultural activities. Staff use words from children's home languages and encourage them to talk about their experiences. This helps children to understand and value what makes them unique. They develop respect and an inclusive attitude from an early age.
• Staff are quick to step in and stop minor disagreements between children, which keeps everyone safe and calm. However, they do not routinely talk to children about how they are feeling or help them to see how their actions can upset others. Sometimes, children are asked to sit alone to reflect on what has happened. For some children, this approach is difficult to understand and does not consistently help them to develop ways to manage their emotions.
• Professional development contributes to ongoing enhancements to the quality of education. For example, following training, there are now more specific resources intended to support children's developing communication skills. Staff reflect on and evaluate their own practice, which motivates them to build on their knowledge and refine their teaching skills.
• Parents are very pleased with the care and learning opportunities that their children receive. They describe staff as 'amazing' and say they 'couldn't ask for more'. Staff encourage learning at home, for example by providing a lending library, which gives families opportunities to share more books at home. This helps children to continue learning beyond their time in pre-school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• give children more encouragement to communicate and work together during play
• help children to talk about their feelings and understand the impact of their behaviour.