St John's Pre-School Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this calm and purposeful pre-school. They build positive relationships with staff, who are warm and caring. Staff have high expectations for children's progress and are highly effective at meeting their individual needs. The embedded key-worker system means the staff get to know the children really well and support them to understand their emotions. These bonds help children to feel safe and secure.

Children play confidently and happily together. They form close friendships and show positive attitudes towards one another. For example, children take turns pouring coloured water from a jug and share tubes of glitter as they make 'friendship potions'. Staff model good speaking and listening skills. They introduce new vocabulary and skilfully adapt their teaching so that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), progress well.

Children relish their time in the outdoor area and benefit from lots of opportunities to engage with the natural world. For example, they enjoy growing a variety of plants and vegetables and are eager to pick the peas from pods when they are ready. This creates a wealth of learning opportunities about where our food comes from and life cycles, which the children recall with enthusiasm.

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

• The manager has a clear and ambitious vision for the pre-school and a well-thought-out curriculum. This is planned and sequenced so that all children build up the knowledge they need gradually and securely.
• The pre-school prides itself on being an inclusive setting which welcomes children of all abilities. All children, including those with SEND, are provided with well-tailored support and individual plans to ensure good progression is made.
• The manager acts with integrity in using the additional funding received. She provides one-to-one support for the children who need it, regardless of financial assistance. This supports the staff, reduces their workload and promotes their well-being.
• Self-evaluation is accurate and identifies areas for managers to develop further. A good programme of supervision and training develops the practice and knowledge of staff. However, staff are not made aware of any weakness in their practice. This means they do not always know how to make improvements to their teaching. For example, interactions with children are not always of consistently high quality. This minor weakness has not been addressed.
• Opportunities for outdoor play are plentiful. The children demonstrate their gross-motor skills as they climb and balance on wooden blocks and chase after their friends. Staff teach children to take appropriate risks and challenges as they play. This builds their confidence and resilience and gives them a sense of achievement when they succeed.
• Children demonstrate a secure knowledge of the daily routines. For instance, during a well-organised snack time, children remember to wash their hands, self-serve their choice of fruits and cheese with metal tongs and tidy up afterwards. However, healthy choices are not promoted consistently, as some of the children bring bottles of juice and unhealthy snacks in to the setting. This does not positively promote children's good oral health.
• Hygiene practices are effective across the setting because staff teach children to become increasingly independent in managing their personal needs.
• Mathematical concepts are incorporated throughout the setting in an age-appropriate way. This helps children to build a deep understanding of number and counting.
• Staff prepare children for their next stage well and provide lots of opportunities for developing their confidence and character. Children benefit from strong links with the local primary schools and are well supported through visits and regular discussions, for their move on to school.
• Children become active members of the local community. For example, they walk to a nearby post office to post a letter and take a trip by bus to the local supermarket to buy ingredients. This helps children to develop confidence and a growing understanding of the world around them.
• Parents are provided with daily updates about their children's learning. Innovative ideas such as 'Borrow me bags' and 'Bertie bear' allow parents to further support children's learning and development at home. Parents speak highly about the pre-school and comment on the significant progress that their children have made.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the current arrangements for staff supervision and peer observations, to ensure that staff are more consistent in their teaching and interactions with children
• maximise opportunities to help children to develop positive attitudes to healthy eating.