St James Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families receive a warm welcome at this nurturing pre-school. Staff are caring and attentive to children, which helps them to feel safe and secure. Staff consider children's interests as they plan the activities, which engages children and motivates them to learn. For example, children are fascinated by the growth of spring flowers. Staff provide a range of art and craft materials to help them represent their ideas. This sparks the children's creativity. They concentrate intently as they carefully select and shape materials to make wonderful drawings and collages.

The manager and staff want all children to achieve highly. Staff promptly recognise when children need additional support with their learning or development. They work closely with parents and other professionals to provide targeted interventions. The manager ensures that additional funding is used effectively, to benefit the children who receive it. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress.

Staff are positive role models. They teach children to be kind and to use good manners. There is a strong emphasis on promoting children's independence. For instance, children learn to manage their own hygiene and personal care. This helps to boost their self-esteem. Children are proud to show that they can carry out tasks, such as washing their hands independently.

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

• The manager and staff provide a broad and well-sequenced curriculum, to help prepare children for school and later life. For instance, they introduce children to a wide range of stories and factual books, to enhance their enjoyment and understanding of nursery topics. This promotes a love of books, which helps to support children's early literacy.
• Staff use playful ways to introduce children to mathematical concepts. For example, as children make 'cakes' from dough, staff encourage them to calculate how many will be left when one is taken away. They help children to record their findings by making marks on paper. Children display their understanding of numbers and measurements as they count the toy dinosaurs and order them from biggest to smallest.
• Generally, the quality of teaching is good. For example, staff sing, read and talk with children throughout the day, which promotes their language development well. However, staff do not always consider children's ages and abilities when delivering large-group activities. Therefore, some children become distracted and lose interest.
• Staff promote healthy lifestyles for children. They provide nutritious snacks and advise parents on healthy options for children's packed lunches. This encourages children to enjoy a wider variety of healthy foods. Staff offer a good range of learning experiences outdoors each day, which inspire children to be physically active. For instance, children dig, carry and stir large pots of soil as they 'cook' in their mud kitchen.
• Staff are patient and consistent with managing children's behaviour, such as coming down to children's eye level to explain the expectations to them. This promotes a relaxed and calm atmosphere, which helps children to concentrate on their learning. Children behave well and show a good understanding of the boundaries in place. For example, older children remind each other that they must share the toys and use their 'walking feet' indoors.
• Staff celebrate what makes children unique. For example, they encourage children to be original with their artwork and admire everyone's efforts with equal enthusiasm. This helps children to feel valued and to develop a sense of belonging.
• Staff appreciate the support they receive from the manager and other colleagues and comment on the strong sense of teamwork. They receive regular supervision sessions and training, to enhance their professional practice and help them to safeguard children. New staff go through robust vetting and induction procedures to check their suitability and help them fulfil their roles.
• There are effective partnerships with parents and other professionals. Parents describe how staff help them through difficult times and provide personalised care and learning for children. They report that their children have developed their confidence and communication skills since joining the pre-school. Staff work with local schools to support successful transitions for all children when they move on.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to plan and deliver group activities more effectively, to help children remain focused and engaged in learning.