St Michael's Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager to start playing when they arrive at pre-school. They are lively and sometimes boisterous. However, children settle quickly into the phonics session and are captivated by the way that staff use alliteration to call each child to their carpet spot. Children thoroughly enjoy water play. They are independent and practise getting themselves changed into their swimsuits ready for the pool. Children demonstrate their ability to work together as they lay their towels out ready to dry themselves.

Children have good relationships with their key person and other staff. They confidently speak to staff, answering questions and talking about their family and home life. Children enjoy the social snack time where they learn to pour their drink from a jug into their beaker. Children are imaginative. They pretend to make a cake for a party using 'the recipe' for their mud cake. Staff provide a recipe card for children to read. Children gather items from the garden, starting with pine cones, ready to make the cake. They develop the activity, inviting more children to join them. Children explain how to play the party games and others continue to make more food.

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

• The committee have taken steps to ensure that requirements are met. Since the last inspection, all of the required references for staff working at the pre-school are in place. They have worked with local authority advisers to help ensure that improvements are sustained. The record for complaints shows the nature of the concern and what has been done to resolve issues. The committee now provide staff with supervision meetings to help them reflect on their work and to better understand their responsibilities.
• The staff team plan a varied curriculum for the children. They have high expectations of what the children can achieve. Helping children to prepare for the move to school Reception class is the focus for the oldest children during the summer term. Children benefit from the frequent visits to the school where they meet their teachers and see their new classroom. Staff frequently challenge children to show what they know by asking questions that require them to recall information and use their knowledge. For example, children work out the age of an older sibling who recently had a birthday. They recall number sequences and use simple addition and subtraction.
• Staff assess children's abilities effectively. They understand what children know and can do and generally help children to build on this well. Staff place emphasis on helping children to develop their speaking and listening skills and many children correctly identify letters sounds. Staff help children to build and use a wide vocabulary, such as 'braeburn' when they talk about the variety of an apple. However, staff do not consistently support the communication skills of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Staff frequently support children to behave well. They have clear boundaries that help children to behave sensibly and with respect when getting ready for whole-group activities and visits to the school. At these times, children's behaviour is exemplary. However, there are times when staff do not explain the expectations for behaviour clearly to children, and this sometimes leads to poor behaviour.
• Staff know their key children well. They know about each child's learning needs and how they can help them to build on what they know and can do, particularly through planned activities. However, staff do not always make the best use of resources to support children's individual next steps in learning. Staff now complete the required assessment of children's development between the age of two and three years. This helps to ensure an accurate picture of children's abilities and to identify gaps in their learning.
• Parents are well informed about their children's time at pre-school. They compliment staff for the kind and caring attention that their children receive. Although parents no longer enter the pre-school building, staff regularly take time to speak to parents about their children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase staff's understanding of how to consistently support all children's communication skills
• help staff to explain the rules for appropriate behaviour so that children are clear about their expectations
• support staff to effectively plan and provide exciting activities and opportunities that build on children's learning and development, to ensure they all make maximum progress in their learning.