Shining Stars Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff know children who attend the pre-school very well. They take time to find out about children's interests, home lives and stages of development when children first start. This helps them to support children to settle well. There is a strong key-person system in place with an emphasis on children's well-being and personal development. Children are extremely happy in the pre-school. They thrive and have lovely attachments with staff, due to their warm, sensitive and caring interactions. Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff have clear expectations, which they share with children at the start of each session. Children confidently recall that they need to share, take turns, listen and use good manners. There is calm and purposeful atmosphere in the pre-school, with all children playing very amicably together.

Staff want all children to make the best possible progress. They implement a well-planned curriculum, which takes account of what children need to learn next and their interests. Staff place on emphasis on supporting children's communication and language and social skills. Many of the children who attend the pre-school are learning English as an additional language. Staff adapt their support for children's language to help all children to communicate. For example, they use visual aids, Makaton and learn key words in children's home languages. Staff encourage children to access a lending library to take books home to read with their parents. They introduce children to new vocabulary, use effective questions and provide a commentary on children's play. This helps children to be confident communicators.

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

• The managers provide lots of support for staff. Staff value and very much appreciate how the managers help them personally and professionally. The managers make sure that staff attend training to extend their practice, such as using Makaton. They support and give staff time to further their qualifications.
• Staff share lots of information with parents to support children's development. They make sure that they provide daily feedback to parents at pick-up times. Staff invite parents into the pre-school for regular stay-and-play sessions to provide ideas of how they can support their children's learning further at home.
• Parents very much appreciate staff and how they support their children. They comment how their children look forward to coming to the pre-school. Parents value the support that staff give them, such as in helping them to fill in forms for their child's move on to a new setting or school.
• Staff expose children to stories and singing throughout the day, to develop their early literacy skills. Children cuddle up to staff and listen to them read with interest. Staff teach older children what an author and illustrator are. Young children excitedly choose a 'song spoon' and join in with the words and actions of their chosen song with animation.
• Children have lots of opportunities to develop their independence. For example, they learn to use the toilet, wash their hands, put their coats on and cut up their fruit and spread butter on their toast. Children become very confident in managing their own self-care.
• Children develop their imaginations as they play. They engage in role play, taking turns to set the table and making 'tea'. Children play outdoors each day and practise their physical skills. For example, they learn to pedal bicycles and roll and balance hoops. Children persevere, are willing to have a go and receive lovely praise from staff for their achievements.
• Staff acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of the children and families who attend the pre-school. Staff make sure that they teach other children about the religions, traditions and events that are important to their friends. They are deeply committed to ensuring that the pre-school is inclusive for all.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is very clear about her role. She works closely with other professionals, such as local authority teams and health visitors, to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The SENCo makes sure that she supports staff to implement additional interventions and strategies to help all children to achieve.
• Children are interested in the activities which staff plan for them. For instance, they delight in using foam to explore and investigate how to combine bricks when pretending to be builders. However, on occasions, staff give more attention during group activities to more-confident children. This means that sometimes, quieter and less-confident children are not as engaged in their learning.
• Staff make sure that children experience a healthy lifestyle while in the pre-school. They offer children lots of fruit and vegetables for their snack, with water and milk to drink. Staff work with parents to send nutritious packed lunches for their children. However, staff do not use all opportunities to help children to understand about the foods which contribute to a healthy diet.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to strengthen their interactions with children during activities, to make sure that quieter and less-confident are fully engaged in their learning
• teach children about foods that are good for them and contribute towards a healthy diet, to prepare them for making good lifestyle choices later in life.