St Christopher's Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and staff greet them warmly using their names and direct them to the carpet. They join in the 'welcome' song, singing along with their friends. Staff explain the choice of activities available and the routine for the day. This helps children to become confident and independent as they explore.

Children spend much of their time outside, and staff plan a curriculum that builds on children's experiences and interests. Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. This includes access to tricycles and water play, to enhance their small motor skills. Children enjoy making 'ice creams' in the sand tray and talk excitedly about the different flavours they have available. They squeal with delight as they watch their bubbles disappear up into the sky.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. On occasion, when children struggle to share, staff sensitively step in to support them in their play. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points.

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

• Since the last inspection, the leadership team has made changes to the pre-school. Staff, including the manager, have embarked on further training to increase their knowledge and understanding of how children learn. They have also received help from the local authority to support them in their progression. This has had a positive impact on the provision and the children benefit from a range of child-centred activities, based around their needs and development. The manager and staff report that their well-being is good and they feel supported in their roles.
• The manager supports children who are in receipt of additional funding well. This includes effective use of money to support children's individual needs. They engage well with other professionals to ensure they meet the the needs of all children, including those with SEND.
• Overall, teaching is strong. Staff plan and deliver a range of activities that are based on what children know and can do. They successfully create opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the world. Staff read to children and introduce songs and rhymes to increase their communication skills. However, there are sometimes inconsistencies in the quality of staff interactions. For example, on occasion, staff ask questions but do not allow children the time they need to respond. In addition, staff do not always use effective methods to help children to learn how to pronounce individual words.
• Staff provide a variety of opportunities to develop children's imagination. Children work together transporting the bricks in the wheelbarrow and mix cement in the mixer. They persevere as they build their walls and create space for windows. Children stand back to view their creations. They are proud of their accomplishments and excitedly show them to staff. Staff ensure children understand the rules to wear hard hats and high visibility jackets on their 'building site'. This helps children to link their play to real-life experiences and also supports them to consider their personal safety.
• Staff promote children's understanding of mathematics well. They use every opportunity to include numbers in their play. For example, they encourage children to count the farm animals in the tray. They sing songs which involve counting forwards and backwards to help reinforce children's knowledge.
• Staff promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles well. Children independently wash their hands and choose from a selection of fresh fruit at snack time. Staff encourage children to peel their own fruit and to pour drinks from the small jugs. This helps to further develop their independence and confidence.
• Partnerships with parents are good. The manager and staff support parents well. They gain relevant information about the children when they start and provide feedback on the children's progress. The manager and staff provide regular communication to the parents in the termly newsletters. They give information and ideas for parents to further support their children's learning and development at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the monitoring of teaching practices to identify and address minor inconsistencies in the support for children's language skills.