St. John's Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and excited as they enter the pre-school. They proudly choose their 'person peg' to self-register and confidently ask visitors to do the same. Children feel secure and a real sense of belonging. They share caring and nurturing relationships with their key person. For example, children giggle and beam with pride as they share cuddles with their 'special someone'. Children's personal, social and emotional development is strong.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They gently remind children to take turns with toys. Children are beginning to understand how their behaviour impacts others. For example, they kindly share their play dough with friends who ask for more. Children are beginning to learn right from wrong.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress. Leaders and staff have the same high ambitions for all children. For example, staff focus on supporting children with their social skills. As a result, children can now join in with group activities, such as yoga. Children immensely enjoy these, and they squeal with delight as they follow the actions with others.

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

• Leaders have a clear vision for the curriculum aim, to develop children's curiosity. They pride themselves on offering resources, such as real objects, to help children learn how to respect their belongings. For example, children happily pretend to make 'tea' in the home corner, using china cups and saucers with care. However, staff are not always fully effective at ensuring their teaching starts from what each child can do. This results in some children not engaging well with activities and flitting between them.
• Overall, children's communication and language skills are good. For example, they excitedly gather water and glitter and tell adults they are making 'potions'. Children focus for long periods of time and talk about what ingredients they would like to add. At times, some children are very quiet and spend periods of time with little interaction. Staff identify how they can help these children. However, they do not swiftly implement support. This does not support those children's speech and language development effectively.
• Staff present information clearly to children and support their critical thinking skills. For example, children tell staff that they need to take the rice outside. Staff expertly support children by asking them how they think they could move it themselves. Children eagerly hunt for what they would like to use and return with cups and bowls. They then use the cups and bowls to transport the rice outside. Children are learning problem-solving skills that they can use for later learning.
• Children have endearing positive attitudes to play and learning. They thoroughly enjoy the wide variety of activities the pre-school has to offer. For example, they jump with joy as they blow bubbles and excitedly tell others they are going 'higher and higher'. Children are beginning to understand the world around them.
• Staff offer children plenty of opportunities to be physically active in their play. For example, children enjoy exploring outdoors. They develop their balance and climbing skills as they navigate equipment, such as climbing frames and ladders, to reach the top of the tree they are decorating. Children are learning how to challenge themselves in their physical play.
• Leaders have effective systems in place for staff supervision. They use regular one-to-one and staff meetings to discuss staff development and training. This helps to improve teaching over time.
• The pre-school has strong parent partnerships. Parents appreciate the updates they receive about their children's learning and development. For example, they explain that they get daily verbal feedback as well as updates on an online platform and via social media. Parents adore the wide range of activities on offer, such as painting, singing and yoga. They say that staff and leaders are extremely friendly and help to support them with top tips on subjects such as potty training.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to swiftly implement more successful strategies to support children's speech and language development
• strengthen the sequence of the curriculum to help staff deliver activities more effectively from children's starting points.