St Michael's Christian Pre- School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children experience an inspirational learning environment at this setting. They make rapid progress in their development and display high levels of self-motivation.

Children are eager to learn and show enthusiasm as they participate in the activities on offer to them. Staff create a well-organised, creative environment which ignites children's curiosity. Children especially enjoy being outdoors and exploring the vast opportunities available to them. They use connecting materials to create rocket ships and climb inside. They describe how they are flying into space and crouch down to imitate their readiness for take-off. They count down to blast off and stretch up as they fly away. Staff encourage children to extend their ideas further and join in with their play. Outdoor resources are used creatively to provide play experiences for children. Rubber mats operate as slides on the grassy bank. Children climb up to the top of the bank and glide down using foam mats to sit on. Children show pleasure and confidence as they navigate the space outdoors.

Children's communication and language development are well supported. Staff discuss daily routines with children and teach them about the days of the week. Children join in as they try to name things which begin with the same letter as the day. Children laugh as they suggest different words. They sing songs which teach them about numbers, and practise songs they have created for upcoming special events. Children joyfully copy actions to songs and dance along to music during disco time.

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

• The setting implements a well-designed curriculum which prioritises children's emotional and personal development. Staff understand how children learn and incorporate their interests and individuality into the learning experiences they offer. Children are ready to transition to the next stage in their learning.
• Staff are proficient in their teaching methods. They provide an excellent balance of focused learning time and child-initiated learning. Children explore the environment, and staff skilfully identify teaching moments to feed specific learning targets into children's play.
• Children benefit from a range of learning experiences. They learn about the environment and how their behaviour and resources impact on the world around them. They learn to grow their own flowers and find out about birds. They enjoy visits from police officers, and learn to keep their teeth healthy during a visit from a dentist. Staff cleverly incorporate these new learning points into their daily plans to consolidate children's learning.
• Children behave extremely well. They play cooperatively with their peers and show understanding about how behaviour impacts on others. Staff are excellent role models to children and support them to resolve conflict calmly and swiftly. Children use manners without prompting and show care towards others.
• Children show high levels of independence. They manage a self-service snack area with confidence. They choose their own food and pour themselves drinks. They use the toilet area independently, and where children need support, staff considerately help them to build on their existing capabilities.
• Children with special educational needs make good progress. Staff thoughtfully adapt learning experiences to include all children. They plan specific intervention time for those children who need extra support to develop their communication and language skills. They work closely with parents to ensure children are supported effectively. They devise individual plans for children in cooperation with external professionals to provide consistency of care for children.
• Parents express high levels of contentment with the care their children receive. They describe how they are included in decisions made about their children's learning and the nurturing relationships which have been built with staff. They talk about the consideration they are given as parents and the involvement of them as a whole family unit. Parents comment on the progress their children make and the dedication of the staff team.
• Leaders are successful in ensuring staff develop their knowledge and skills continuously. They identify development points with staff and review the impact of any training which has been completed. Leaders create improvement plans which are acted on and are committed to increasing their own knowledge and skills. They work closely with external agencies to find out about local information which could impact children's development. Children therefore, experience a high-quality learning environment.