St Matthew's Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy having the opportunity to make choices in their play. For example, they excitedly re-enact home situations that they watch staff demonstrate as part of their interactions with them. Children wrap their babies up in blankets and put them to sleep in their cots. They enjoy a 'tea party' with their friends and learn to iron their clothes. Children develop a good understanding of how to invite others into their play and extend their ideas by playing alongside each other.

Children are very confident for their age and stage of development. They are proud to show visitors their creations, including models that they have made of clay. They are eager to select books to share. Staff share high expectations for children's development. Children with English as an additional language make particularly good progress from their starting points. They begin to read repeated phrases from books that staff have previously read with them and excitedly move their hands to the rhythm of word patterns.

Children learn to manage risks in their own play. For example, when playing outdoors, staff help them to recognise that the rain is making some equipment slippy. Children use brooms and towels to dry the water off and learn that if the rain stops, the equipment will now be safe to use.

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

• Managers are very aware of the needs of the groups of children attending and the impact of COVID-19. The recognise the need to promote children's communication and language as well as personal and social development. This precise focus forms the basis for the curriculum.
• Staff share a good understanding of the curriculum intent and how they implement it. Managers have established procedures to ensure that all staff know what each individual child needs to learn next and they are familiar with their interests. This helps to ensure a consistent approach to children's development if their key person is not present.
• Staff implement the curriculum well in practice. For example, to help develop children's growing vocabulary and confidence, they regularly use strategies, such as sign language and visual supports. Children excitedly join in with their peers singing rhymes and songs. They begin to listen to stories and interact with staff as they ask them questions about them.
• Managers help parents to access the funding that they are entitled to. They use this to enhance the curriculum, such as by delivering a wide range of enrichment activities. For instance, children with limited access to outdoor space benefit from a broad range of physical activities, such as football, athletics and ballet. This helps children to have opportunities they would otherwise not be able to access and at the same time helps to develop their large-muscle skills.
• Children with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress. Staff fully understand their needs and behaviours. They seek guidance and support from professionals, such as speech and language therapists, sharing this with parents and implementing it swiftly.
• Staff support children's emotional health well. They recognise the varied experiences children may have had before joining the pre-school. They help children to learn to process their feelings and help them to begin to understand those of others. For example, children look at photographs of significant events. They laugh as they recall that in one picture they look 'happy' but in another that they look 'angry'.
• Children enjoy sitting with their peers for activities, such as group times. However, staff do not have clear enough rules and boundaries for these times. This means that, in their excitement, some children call out their ideas over others. This increases the noise level and limits other children's opportunities to contribute.
• Staff help children to learn to complete some routine tasks independently, such as handwashing. However, on other occasions, such as when dressing and undressing and during lunchtime routines, staff are quick to offer too much support. They do not fully consider how they can teach children the skills appropriate for their age to help them manage some simple tasks. This does not fully promote older children's independence in preparation for their forthcoming move to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review rules and boundaries for group times to promote consistently good levels of listening and attention and encourage all children to contribute
• help children to learn the sequence of knowledge and skills they need to manage some aspects of routine tasks more independently.