St George's Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff enable children to develop exceptionally close relationships with staff and their peers in this caring pre-school. They separate confidently from their parents and eagerly greet their friends and the staff. Staff provide children with familiar routines that help children feel incredibly secure. On arrival, children become involved in recognising their name to self-register. Children then competently label and store away their lunch boxes before enthusiastically choosing from the enticing learning opportunities on offer.

All children thrive and demonstrate confidence as they engage in circle time. They are keen to say 'hello' to their friends, using a range of different languages. Children enthusiastically volunteer to share and explain the pre-school rules to the group. They demonstrate a strong understanding of expected behaviour. For example, children know that they should walk inside to avoid bumping into others and to keep everyone safe.

Staff provide children with extensive opportunities to play and learn outdoors. They place a strong focus on helping children to become inquisitive about the natural world. Children are excited to discover a beetle in the grass. They decide how best to look after it, and they ensure that their friends have had a close look before carefully moving it to a safer place. Staff expertly use opportunities to extend children's knowledge and enable them to practise their skills from the other areas of learning. For example, children confidently find and use a non-fiction book to identify the characteristics of the insect.

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

• Leaders have developed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. There is clear intent for learning that is fully understood and promoted by all members of staff. The staff team provides a vast number of daily experiences that are designed to cover all areas of learning and meet children's unique needs.
• Leaders organise the pre-school exceptionally well. They maximise opportunities for children to make choices and actively lead their own learning. The close-knit staff team communicates highly effectively, and the staff work extremely well together. Leaders ensure that new staff receive a comprehensive and informative induction that fully supports them in their role.
• Children develop a love of stories. They choose from a range of high-quality texts and delight in sharing books and audio stories with staff and their friends. Staff skilfully teach children about the role of authors and illustrators. Children are particularly fascinated by the 'blurb' on the back of the books on offer. They understand that this tells them what the story is about.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive exceptional support. Staff promptly identify possible concerns and swiftly make referrals to other agencies. They work closely with other professionals and parents to provide targeted support. This enables children to make the best possible progress.
• Children are highly motivated and focused learners. They spend prolonged time at the creative station, working on their individual projects. Children demonstrate excellent fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they skilfully use a range of tools and resources to complete their designs. Children are highly engrossed in cutting, sticking and mark making. They competently use the scissors and staff remind them about how to handle and store the scissors safely. Children show immense pride in their work and enthusiastically parade the masks they have created using googly eyes and sticky notes.
• Staff provide children with an imaginatively resourced home corner. Children confidently negotiate and take on various roles as they develop their role-play ideas. They work cooperatively and include others in their play. Staff are excellent role models for children's communication and language development. They use sophisticated language with children to extend their learning. Children competently use a wide and interesting vocabulary across their play.
• Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff have consistently high expectations of them. They promote children's independence and self-care skills as an integral part of the curriculum. Children listen intently and respond positively to staff. Staff allocate specific tidy-up tasks to children at the end of the session and encourage them to work together as a team.
• Parents are thrilled with the provision. They comment enthusiastically on the warm, professional and nurturing relationships that staff develop with the children and their families. Parents are well supported to get involved in their child's learning. They receive a weekly learning letter that describes the opportunities that have been on offer. Parents are delighted with the strong and rapid progress that children make. They also comment on the excellent transition support as children move on to school.