St Mawgan Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and ready to learn at this welcoming and friendly pre-school. They develop strong relationships with the caring staff and show that they feel safe and secure in their care. Children are confident and have fun as they become absorbed in activities. They enjoy challenges, such as building large and complicated train tracks together. Children learn to keep trying when they struggle with activities and tasks. For example, staff model different ways to let children pass each other on the tracks with their trains, when children get frustrated. Children are praised for their efforts and are proud of their achievements.

Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and behave well. They listen to and follow instructions and understand the expectations of staff. Children learn to be independent and show satisfaction in doing things for themselves. For instance, they serve themselves at snack times. Children enjoy being helpful and assist staff with setting out and tidying up resources.

Communication has remained good between parents and staff throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Although parents do not currently come into the setting, staff greet each child individually at the entrance and share information with the parents verbally and through an app. This helps to build strong and trusting relationships.

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

• Staff are very knowledgeable about the children they care for and know what they need to do to support children's next steps in learning. They follow the children's interests and enhance areas with resources to encourage children to play there. As a result, children benefit from a wide range of leaning experiences, which prepares them well for their future learning.
• Staff introduce mathematical language, such as 'more' and 'less', to support children to compare quantities. They encourage children to estimate how many daises there are within hoops on the grass outdoors. Children enthusiastically count the daises they have picked and discuss which has the 'tallest' and 'shortest' stem.
• Overall, staff offer good levels of interaction with children. Children are comfortable with staff who engage with them and consider their interests when planning activities. However, some staff do not consistently challenge children to extend and broaden children's knowledge and understanding.
• Children develop their physical skills through a range of stimulating experiences. They participate in play dough sessions, where they manipulate the dough in a variety of ways. Children giggle with delight as they roll, squash, nip and push their fingers into the dough. Staff and children take full advantage of the pre-school's location. Staff encourage regular access to the wide and open playing field and play area, which helps to promote children's good health.
• Children are learning the skills for the next stage in their learning. Older children show independence. They use the toilet and wash their hands without the need for reminders. Younger childen learn about oral health as they pretend to brush teeth during an activity. Staff use the opportunity to introduce new language as they talk to children about the different parts of a tooth, such as the 'root'.
• Parents speak highly about their children's experiences and the committed staff team. They say their children enjoy attending and that the staff are welcoming and take time to talk to parents. Staff provide parents with regular opportunities to discuss their children's progress. However, on occasion, staff are not always successful at fully engaging parents in their child's learning and development at home.
• The relatively new manager is passionate and dedicated to her role in developing the practice. She is committed to providing high-quality, inclusive care and education for all children and their families. The ambitious committee support the manager well, to carry out her role and responsibilities.
• The manager evaluates the pre-school to identify strengths and weaknesses. Regular staff supervisions enable her to identify the strengths in staff's practice. She uses this information to provide ongoing training and support. The manager monitors the quality of teaching to improve it further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve staff's interactions with children even more sharply, so that they make the most of opportunities to extend and broaden children's knowledge and understanding
• strengthen strategies to further engage parents in their child's learning and development at home.