South Wingfield Pre-School Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily at the pre-school and leave their parents and carers with ease. Staff greet children warmly and take time to listen to what children are eager to tell them about. They take time to ensure that even the youngest children are involved in the social interactions. Staff know children well and have good relationships with them. They help to settle children and engage them immediately in a range of activities.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They motivate them to try new things and have a go. As a result, children persevere in completing tasks and show pride in their achievements. This is evident as they build using a selection of blocks. Children use their imagination well as they construct waterfalls and bridges. Staff discuss the children's ideas and what they are making to help extend their problem-solving skills.

Children are supported by staff to develop their early literacy skills. Children thoroughly enjoy story time and looking at books. Staff encourage children to recall stories, the characters and the adventures they get up to. For example, children enjoy the story about a cat called 'Splat', who goes to school. They are attentive and listen well. Staff extend this interest and encourage the children to talk about their recent visits to their new school.

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

• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff send parents photographs and information about their child's next steps in learning. They provide parents with ideas to help extend children's learning at home. For example, staff have introduced a lending library. The manager states children enjoy taking books home to read with their parents. Parents are positive about their children's experiences at the pre-school. They are pleased with the progress they are making and speak highly of the support and warmth of the staff team.
• The manager and staff plan a curriculum that focuses on preparing children for their future learning. They provide activities to support children's small-muscle skills. For example, children squeeze, poke, and knead play dough. They strengthen their fingers as they manipulate the dough and make hedgehog gardens. This helps children to develop the skills they need to hold a pencil, open packages and do up zips.
• Overall, staff promote children's language skills well. They get down to children's level to talk and make eye contact. Staff converse with older children and explain the meaning of new words, such as 'kneading', to young children. However, some staff ask too many questions in quick succession. This means children do not always have time to think and respond and use their own words to express their thoughts.
• Children have good opportunities to develop physically overall. For example, young children enjoy riding sit-on toys and scrambling through an obstacle course. This helps to build their large-muscle skills. That said, staff do not always provide activities that support older children to build on their physical skills further. At times, children aimlessly kick balls and navigate obstacle courses with ease.
• Children behave well. Staff encourage children to share and take turns as they play. This is evident as children share and take turns using coloured water to make potions. Older children share pipettes with younger children and show them how to squeeze the liquid out. Staff provide lots of praise and encouragement, which builds children's confidence and self-esteem.
• Staff support children's self-care skills. Children are familiar with the daily routine. For example, they know when it is time for snack, outside play time and story time. Staff guide and support younger children to the bathroom and encourage older children to take themselves. Children put their coats on with support from staff if necessary. These opportunities help to develop children's independence.
• The manager and staff work effectively as a team. They have regular meetings to discuss the curriculum and the needs of the children. Staff attend training to develop their knowledge and skills. For example, they have attended a mathematics course. This helped them to plan effectively for the mathematical curriculum and help children develop these skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop their questioning techniques to give children more time to think and express their thoughts
• strengthen staff skills in planning activities and supporting older children to challenge their physical skills.