St Keverne Pre-School Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and engaged in learning in this welcoming pre-school. They feel secure and safe as they have close bonds with all the staff. Children learn to be independent and enjoy doing things for themselves, for example putting their shoes on for outside play and putting toys away at the end of a session. The staff support and encourage children's self-help skills. This builds children's self-esteem and confidence.

The curriculum is focused to ensure children make good progress in their learning. It focuses on supporting their emotional and language development. Staff know the children very well as it is a small pre-school. They use this knowledge to support children's next steps as they play. For example, children take risk and challenge knowing support is nearby. Outside, they explore climbing and balancing. Children quickly become successful. They persevere with challenges as adults are close by offering encouragement.

Parents no longer enter the pre-school since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They drop children at the door, which has created a calmer start to the day. Children behave well and know the routine. Staff support potential conflict and help children resolve arguments. Children are polite and kind to one another. For example, a child fetches resources to help her friend create a castle.

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

• Partnerships with parents are very effective. Parents feel valued and supported. They know their children happy and make good progress. Staff share children's achievements and next steps electronically and through discussion. Parents are encouraged to share their children's achievements from home. These are then incorporated into the planning.
• The manager and staff have high expectations for children. They plan a well-sequenced curriculum that stems from children's interests and needs. The curriculum is sharply focused to help children to manage feelings and develop their language. Staff use activities to help children understand and manage their feelings. Children use a visual timetable to help them understand the routine. This creates a calm atmosphere as they know what happens and when, including home time, which is important to some.
• Children learn new words rapidly as staff model language well. Staff add narrative to children's play. For example, children are exploring magnets. Staff ask if they can make the line of collected items longer. Children excitedly add more magnetic items to the magnet and call out in delight. Staff help children to count and use mathematical language for more and less. Children learn about shapes as they explore play dough. Sometimes adults do not challenge older children. They do not always offer older children opportunities to solve problems and develop their critical thinking.
• Children build on what they know and have learned. For example, staff use a display of family photos to help children build a model of their village. They draw children's attention to the farm and ask them what keeps the animals safe in the field. Children quickly shout out 'a wall'. They find small bricks to construct a wall. Children are deeply involved in this activity. This is because it is using their knowledge from outside the pre-school.
• Children develop a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. They are supported to take risks safely. For example, a child is using scissors to cut paper, and an adult reminds them that scissors are sharp and they must always point them away from their hands and body. There is a hygiene station where children can blow their nose, and a mirror so they can see if their nose is clean. There are also pictures to remind children to wash their hands after blowing their nose.
• The manager monitors children's progress well. She identifies children who may need additional support and puts plans in place quickly. She works well with outside agencies. The manager supports staff very well. She has an action plan that clearly identifies areas of practice that need development. The staff have excellent relationships with the local primary school. This supports children's transitions into their next stage of education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure all staff can extend children's critical thinking and problem-solving skills by using open-ended questions.