Smiling Faces Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive eagerly at the pre-school, and demonstrate that they feel safe, happy and emotionally secure. They form close bonds with staff, including their key person, and make friends with peers. Children are enthusiastic learners and become quickly absorbed in their play. Children show good levels of focus and concentration as they take part in planned activities. Children interact with staff, enthusiastically telling them what they are doing. Children are well behaved for their stage of development, and have a good attitude to learning. Older children share well with others, helping younger children to take turns in their play. Children's capabilities are understood by staff who know them well. They are well prepared for the next stage in their education. Parents know what their child is learning, even though they cannot come into the setting due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions. The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the pre-school. Children's communication and language development are supported by skilled staff. The leadership of the pre-school has high expectations for all children to do well, and this is shared by staff working with the children. Children enjoy listening to stories and sing songs throughout the day, which helps to develop their language skills.

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

• The provider has adapted daily routines, in view of COVID-19, to ensure the good health of children. Drop-off and collection arrangements have been altered so that parents no longer come into the pre-school, and additional cleaning measures have been implemented.
• As children play, staff support their learning well. Staff know children well and understand their needs and interests. However, on occasions, staff do not always make the most of opportunities that arise to extend and challenge children's learning.
• Staff effectively support children with SEND. They work closely with the child's family and other professionals. Achievable targets are set to promote a child's ongoing care and progress in their development. Staff work effectively with children, offering sensitive intervention which supports them to make progress.
• A range of physical activities challenge children to think about their own safety. Children are confident in their abilities. They climb and run skilfully. Staff remind children to think of others as they run and play. Children understand and apply simple rules to keep themselves safe as they enjoy racing each other using bicycles and scooters.
• The manager and staff forge successful partnerships with parents. Staff share information about children's activities and progress. Parents are complimentary about the pre-school. They feel that staff are available to support them. For example, they give parents ideas to use at home, such as how to help children's speech, offering them books to read, or help with potty training. Although they work together to enhance children's development, parents do not share ideas to enable them to work together to develop the pre-school.
• Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children build positive and respectful relationships and enjoy sharing experiences. Children confidently communicate with peers when deciding whose turn it is to use the tweezers to pick up the coloured animals.
• The curriculum is well designed to meet the emerging needs of children attending. The manager considers the sequence in which children are taught the skills they will need to make good progress. A programme of training supports staff to deliver good quality teaching effectively.
• Staff promote children's early literacy and mathematical skills. They teach children to identify numerals and to use mathematical language in play. They encourage children's participation in story time and help them to learn to identify the initial sounds in their names.
• Staff promote daily routines to support children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. For example, children know the importance of washing their hands to reduce the spread of germs. They eat healthy snacks and lunches, and enjoy physical exercise.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise and make more effective use of spontaneous opportunities to deepen and extend children's learning
• provide opportunities for parents to contribute to evaluating the setting, and identifying areas of development.