St Michael's Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show high levels of engagement and develop positive attitudes towards their learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points.

Children form warm and affectionate bonds with the staff. Children arrive happily, keen to share their news. They behave well and show concern for one another. For example, a child sits quietly, deeply engaged in exploring a book. Another child asks, 'are you ok?' Children use good manners without prompts. They enjoy taking responsibility, such as being the daily helper. They learn to manage their own personal care, helping to promote their self-esteem and develop their independence.

Children thrive outdoors, where they spend a high proportion of their day. They are supported by the conscientious staff, who plan an array of exciting activities linked to children's current interests, learning styles and learning needs. Children learn about colour blending. They operate spray bottles that contain paint, helping to strengthen their small muscles in readiness for developing further skills, such as scissor and pencil control. Children discuss how they can make purple. They use their thinking skills to predict as they experiment. A child proudly exclaims, 'I've made green with blue and yellow'.

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

• The manager has devised a well-sequenced curriculum that covers all areas of learning. She closely monitors children's progress and ensures that any gaps in children's learning are promptly identified, and puts plans in place to address these. She ensures additional government funding is used effectively to benefit the children it is intended for.
• The manager ensures staff receive ongoing training that is relevant to the needs of the children who attend. She carries out regular peer observations of staff teaching, and provides feedback on their strengths and areas for improvement.
• The manager reflects on the service she provides to help her identify the strengths and areas for development. She seeks the views of staff, parents and children in her self-evaluation. She has made significant changes to the garden area to provide an exciting and stimulating learning environment for children who prefer to learn outdoors.
• Parents speak highly of the staff and comment on the good progress their children have made during their time in the pre-school, particularly with their speech. However, staff do not provide precise information about children's next steps, to enable parents to continue the learning at home.
• Staff have high expectations for children's learning. They use their good teaching to promote children's speech and language skills. They model language and help children to build sentences. Staff listen carefully and show genuine interest in what children say. Children develop their mathematical skills as they learn about shapes and their characteristics.
• Staff make regular observations and assessments of children's learning. They are aware of what children need to learn next. Staff provide a good mix of adult-led and child-led activities. However, staff do not consistently adapt their teaching to challenge older children during adult-led activities, to support them to progress beyond their current capabilities. This also results in some children not being fully engaged at times.
• Support for children with SEND is a strength of the pre-school. The manager works closely with parents and outside professionals to ensure these children receive the support they need. Staff sensitively adapt activities to ensure inclusion.
• Staff support children to develop their physical skills. Children use their bodies in different ways with growing skill and confidence. For example, when outdoors, they run around as they chase bubbles and manoeuvre wheeled toys around obstacles.
• Staff teach children about healthy lifestyles in a fun way. Children identify food that is healthy in their packed lunches and are delighted when this is recorded on the 'healthy eating chart'. Children know why 'plaque' is not good for their teeth. They learn how vegetables grow and the life cycle of changes from planting the seeds.
• Staff manage behaviour well. They teach children how to share and play cooperatively with others. This helps children to develop good social skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide parents with more precise information about their children's next stage of learning, to enable them to further extend this learning at home
• enhance staff teaching skills further, to support them to consistently provide challenges for older children.