St Mary's Under 5's Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff provide a caring environment and promote children's learning well. All children receive strong support from staff, who have positive relationships with them and their families. Children are happy and settled and actively engage with the resources and the adults supporting them. The children enthusiastically join in with the well-planned group activities. For example, three- and four-year-old children giggle with staff when doing a group exercise activity to music.

Staff teach the children independence skills in a calm and natural way, and they provide clear direction. Even children who have joined the pre-school very recently show that they are comfortable in the setting and familiar with the routines. For example, children are happy to join the snack table and wait their turn. They enjoy helping themselves to food and drinks and independently wash their hands well.

The children confidently interact with other children and staff. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Staff work hard to develop strong connections with all the children. They liaise effectively with specialist professionals and parents. They actively collaborate to get additional help for individual children. This supports all children to make good progress.

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

• The current leadership arrangements are new but have already had a significant positive impact. Leaders engage well with staff, who report feeling supported and have improved access to training opportunities. Leaders are competent and strong and have a clear vision for the curriculum and care provided in the pre-school.
• The curriculum is successfully designed to provide children with the knowledge and skills they need to move on to the next stage of their education. The curriculum for children with SEND is particularly well thought out and ambitious. All children receive the support they need to reach their full potential, including those who progress beyond their expected milestones.
• Communication within the pre-school is good. All staff effectively exchange relevant information to ensure that the individual children's needs are understood by those who work directly with them.
• There are well-thought-out strategies to promote children's behaviour and social skills. Staff consistently act as positive role models for the children. They continuously reinforce good manners and model the behavioural expectations. This creates a calm environment, where children are kind and make good friends. Children happily share resources and take turns. Staff skilfully design small-group activities so quieter children benefit from interacting with more confident children.
• The staff model language well and consistently give children time to answer questions and repeat key vocabulary. Parents comment on how well their children's communication and language have developed since attending the pre-school. Children contribute well during small-group situations, however, there are fewer opportunities to listen and concentrate in a larger group to build on the skills they will need in preparation for starting school.
• Staff provide children with daily opportunities to be physically active. Children enjoy activities combining music, song and movement. Toddlers are provided with a softer space to explore more risk-taking physical activity. They access this well and it helps develop their gross motor skills and promotes self-confidence.
• Staff effectively promote children's understanding of the world. The whole pre-school frequently visit the adjacent park where, in addition to physical play, they learn about nature through exciting activities, such as bug hunts. Staff encourage parents to share cultural events particular to their family and background. The pre-school marks these events, often with food provided by the parents.
• Leaders have effective systems in place to communicate with parents and share information about the children's development and learning. Parents praise the staff team and comment on how well they know their child's key person, and how highly the staff prioritise getting to know each child individually.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the opportunities for children to develop their listening and concentration skills in readiness for school.