St Margaret's Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and secure in the pre-school. They enter happily and find their name on their coat peg. They quickly settle to their play and enjoy talking to staff. As children gather on the carpet for the register, they share warm hugs with their key person. Children have good relationships with staff, which helps them to develop their personal, social and emotional skills.

Children are excited in their learning. They use the resources imaginatively and are curious as they play. For example, children make soup together. They pour the water and find chives to add to their soup. When they are happy with their creation, they share it with staff. They show lots of enjoyment in achieving what they set out to do. This helps children to develop their imagination and thinking skills.

Children behave well. They respect each other and build good friendships. If there are any signs of conflict, staff quickly support children to be kind. Children use colours to help them to think about their emotions. This helps children to develop the skills to regulate their own emotions.

The management team reflects on the layout of the pre-school. They explain how they have continually adapted this during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents have recently been invited back into the setting. They attend stay-and-play sessions and enjoy celebrating their child's achievements on sports day.

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

• The management team has an excellent knowledge of how children learn and develop. Managers have a clear idea of what they want children to learn, and staff share in this. Together, they plan learning experiences to provide a range of opportunities. As a result, children make good progress across the seven areas of learning.
• Staff know what children can already do. They use this and their knowledge of children's interests to help them develop. For example, a range of activities for making marks is available for children. The manager explains how they use this to develop the core strength and small-muscle skills children use as they learn to write. Older children master the pincer grip as they colour in the windows on a bus. Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.
• Parents know who their child's key person is. They know who to talk to if they have any concerns. Parents explain the good communication in place at the setting and the use of the online platform to provide updates. However, not all parents know what their child's next steps in their learning are, or how they could further support these at home.
• Additional funding is used well to support children's individual needs. For example, the early years pupil premium funding is used to support children's emotional well-being by using the 'Colour Monster'. However, when children attend more than one setting, staff do not always communicate effectively with those settings, to share information about children's learning needs.
• Managers build their curriculum on what they want children to learn by the time they go to school. They explain how they break this down into smaller steps, so children can achieve their goals. This is observed in practice as resources are carefully planned to link with the curriculum. For example, children have access to puppets and role play to help them to make up their own stories. This develops children's communication and language skills.
• Children are developing their early mathematical skills. They count 23 children present and then discuss what numerals are in 23. Staff develop this further by showing children the numbers on a number card. Children count independently as they play.
• The key-person system is highly effective. Staff have an excellent knowledge of children's individual needs. Children who require further support are quickly identified. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with children, parents and other professionals to help children to make the best possible progress.
• The management team uses their child development knowledge to provide support to staff. This helps to raise the quality of their practice. They have regular staff meetings to share information, and work closely as a team. Staff feel well supported and comment on their manageable workload.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen further already good partnerships with parents by telling them what their children are learning and how they can further support this at home
• continue to develop communication with other settings children attend to fully support children's individual learning and development.