SKIPS Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children of all ages are happy, confident and settled at the pre-school. They are excited to join in with the motivating activities that staff carefully plan for them. For example, children find natural materials, such as sticks and feathers. They go on to use them to create their own 'crowns' and 'fishing rods'. Children are independent and are confident to choose their own play and complete their own tasks. For example, they find their own shoes and coats with confidence. Children enjoy learning about the natural world. For instance, they are eager to find bugs and are intrigued to watch the tadpoles in the pond grow into frogs.

Children behave well and are polite. They build meaningful friendships and enjoy each other's company. Children are kind and empathetic. For example, they are understanding of other children's needs. Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles. For instance, they talk about the importance of brushing away sugar off of their teeth to keep them healthy and clean. Children enjoy cooking their own healthy food. This includes fruit smoothies and vegetable soups. All children gain good physical skills. For example, they engage in challenging activities, such as climbing trees and swinging on rope swings.

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

• All staff get to know children well and understand their individual needs and personalities. Children establish secure and trusting relationships with staff. This helps children develop a good sense of belonging and positive well-being.
• Staff know children's likes and dislikes, and this helps them to plan activities that will motivate and engage children. Children have a positive attitude towards their learning and make good progress. Overall, they are engaged in their learning experiences. However, at times, staff do not recognise when younger children lose interest during large-group activities, and do not situate themselves to be more beneficial during these times.
• The manager and staff establish positive relationships with parents. They keep parents fully involved and informed in their children's learning and achievements. Staff share information about the children's day and what they have enjoyed doing. They routinely share useful information to help parents support their children's learning at home. For example, staff provide parents with ideas and games to support their children's social skills and communication and language.
• The manager and staff establish positive partnerships with staff at settings that children also attend. They regularly communicate with these settings and share children's next steps in their learning. Staff provide children with a good consistent approach to their shared care and learning experiences.
• The manager closely monitors the good quality of care and teaching that staff provide. She regularly observes staff interacting with children and provides them helpful feedback to support their future performance. The staff evaluate their practice as a team. At the end of each day, they discuss how well they motivated children to learn. They use their findings to enhance their practice.
• Staff attend regular training and are keen to build on their already good skills and knowledge. They have recently learned about different ways to help children manage their feelings and emotions. This has helped staff to understand how to support children's emotional well-being. Staff attend specific training. For example, they have learned about autism and sensory processing disorder. This has helped them to fully understand and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Overall, the setting is inclusive and diverse. Staff learn some simple words in other languages, such as 'hello' in Spanish. However, they do not support children to gain an even better understanding of people's similarities and differences outside of their own communities. For example, staff currently teach children about a small range of festivals only related to the experiences of the children who attend.
• Staff support all children to develop good communication skills. They consistently reinforce the correct pronunciation of words. Staff ask children thought-provoking questions and give them time to think and then respond. Children are confident to share their thoughts and ideas. For instance, they sequence their favourite stories, using puppets and props with confidence.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to understand where to deploy themselves more effectively to ensure that younger children remain fully engaged in larger group activities
• strengthen opportunities for children to learn about the similarities and differences of the wider community.