St Georges Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the pre-school enthusiastically. Children self-register by finding their names and placing them on a board. This gives children a sense of belonging at the setting. During group time, staff welcome each child through song. This takes place again for children who join at lunchtime, which ensures that children arriving later in the day are also made to feel welcome.

Staff's interactions with children are caring and sensitive. Children form good relationships with their key person, who knows them very well. Staff create an environment that sparks children's interests. This ensures that children become engaged in their chosen play. Staff gently remind children of the simple rules they have in place to help keep them safe. As a result, children behave well.

Staff recognise the importance of singing to support children's communication and language. There are lots of opportunities for singing built into the daily routine. Staff read stories with enthusiasm. Children know the stories well and guess what might happen next. This supports children's early reading skills. Children can develop their physical skills inside and outside. Staff support children to manage their own risks on the slide and show them how to use it safely. Children skilfully negotiate the space around them on the bicycles outside.

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

• Staff teach children about a range of celebrations and cultures. Staff take the time to find out about what children celebrate at home. They then use this information to provide activities to teach other children about these. For example, they recently celebrated Burns Night and Chinese New Year. Staff ensure that children who speak English as an additional language are well supported within the provision.
• There are plenty of opportunities for children to recognise their name, which helps to support the development of early reading skills. At group time, children sing phonics songs to learn about different letter sounds. However, the provider has not ensured that staff teaching this part of the curriculum have appropriate subject knowledge. This means that, sometimes, early literacy activities are not sequenced effectively enough to support the development of children's skills and knowledge.
• Parents are happy with the care provided at the setting. Parents are pleased with the communication they receive from the pre-school. They value the text message they receive every Friday with updates on what their child has done throughout the week. Parents say their children are happy and comment that they have been pleased with the settling-in process.
• Staff complete regular assessments to enable them to assess children's development and identify any gaps in their learning successfully. The manager and staff work with other agencies to ensure early and specialist support is provided. Staff work particularly closely with the health visitor. They share information about children as part of an integrated progress check at age two. However, staff do not share a written summary with parents as part of this assessment. As a result, parents are not kept fully up to date about their child's development.
• Children are beginning to listen to and follow simple instructions. Staff ask children to 'freeze', to gain their attention. They are then reminded to tidy away their toys before they sit down for group time. Throughout group time, children are reminded about the rules to become a 'pre-school superhero'. These include using 'walking feet' indoors and taking turns with the resources. This helps to prepare children for school.
• Staff receive regular training to support their ongoing professional development. For example, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator is undertaking training to support her within her role. Some training is not prioritised to ensure new staff receive training on all elements of safeguarding early on in their employment. Newer staff, for example, are unaware of their responsibilities in relation to the 'Prevent' duty.
• Children learn about good health and hygiene routines. They wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Children learn about how to look after their teeth. Staff teach children to brush their teeth after breakfast by using a large set of teeth. A song accompanies the teeth brushing activity. Staff ensure that children know how to protect others from germs. For example, children are encouraged to cover their mouths in order to 'catch' a sneeze or a cough.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide staff who teach phonics with appropriate training so that early literacy activities are appropriately sequenced and consistently worthwhile
• ensure a written summary is provided to parents as part of the progress check at age two
• develop the induction programme further to ensure that all elements of safeguarding are included at an earlier opportunity.