St Andrew's Preschool Ashton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The new manager and staff create a warm and welcoming environment for children. They provide a range of activities that spark children's interests. As a result, children are quickly absorbed in their play and learning. Staff are positive role models for children. They are deployed well throughout the setting and join in with children's play. They guide, support and encourage children as they play. For example, they show how to thread pasta onto rope and say who has the next turn to guess the rhyme they can hear in a group game. The sequential curriculum supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make good progress and prepares them well for the next stage in their learning.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They provide routines that enable children to know what is expected of them. For example, staff remind children when it is nearly lunchtime, which is a sign for children to work together to tidy things away. Consequently, children behave well and are kind and considerate to their peers. Children are praised for their efforts and achievements, which contributes significantly to their emotional well-being. For example, staff display children's paintings and give lots of praise. This promotes children's confidence and levels of self-esteem.

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

• Since the previous inspection, there has been a change of manager. The new manager has a clear and ambitious curriculum. Staff say that the new manager is very approachable, has clear leadership skills and makes them feel valued and supported. This has enabled them to quickly improve the quality of the provision. Staff show what they have learned in their new practice, with good outcomes for children.
• The manager and senior leadership team are committed to improving staff's knowledge and skills. They closely monitor staff's performance and accurately identify where they need further support. At times, less-experienced staff do not extend children's play and do not implement some of the new curriculum with all children effectively to support their learning further.
• Overall, staff support children's language development well. They introduce some important vocabulary during play activities. However, the quality of teaching is not embedded securely and consistently across the setting. At these times, more-confident children capture staff's attention, and the quieter children are overlooked. This does not fully support children's communication and language development.
• Staff carefully plan and resource many opportunities for children to be physically active. They are able to explore moving their bodies in a variety of ways. For example, they start their session with a calming 'happy mind' session, which they thoroughly enjoy. Outdoors, children create their own assault courses. They experiment with ways of moving, climbing and balancing safely over equipment, as they pretend to escape the 'hairy monster'. Children are developing the skills needed to be physically active.
• Children with SEND are well supported. Staff identify gaps in children's development and act swiftly to put plans in place for them. They work with parents and other professionals to coordinate support. This helps all children to make progress.
• Staff promote children's good health and independence. For example, they talk to parents about the importance of providing their children with healthy packed lunches. Children go to the bathroom by themselves to wash their hands before they eat, and cut their fruit using a safety knife. These opportunities help children to develop good levels of self-care and to build their independence.
• Senior leaders use additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, appropriately. Further resources are purchased to support children who need them the most. For example, staff use an emotion puppet named 'Ged' to support self-regulation. Children talk about feelings, such as happiness and sadness. This helps children to have a good sense of belonging and to recognise similarities and differences that distinguish them from others.
• Since the last inspection, senior leaders have placed a great emphasis on developing effective partnerships with parents. Staff work hard to engage parents and work alongside them for the benefit of children. For example, they offer a book lending library and hold parents' evenings. Parents say that communication has improved and that they are much more aware of their children's progress in pre-school. These partnerships help to build a consistency of care for children.
• Staff are good role models. They encourage children to share resources and use their manners. Children are gently reminded of safety rules. For example, when children dig in the sand, staff explain to children that they must be careful near their eyes. Children are learning how to help themselves stay safe.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the curriculum for communication and language, with particular vigilance to the needs of quieter children
• embed new systems of support for less-experienced staff, to help them build on the quality of education throughout the pre-school.