St Nicholas Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the pre-school enthusiastically. They are happy to see their friends and are greeted by smiles from staff as they begin to play. Staff place a strong focus on supporting children's well-being from an early age. They have formed exceptional relationships with all children and take great care to ensure that they feel nurtured. Children feel safe and well cared for. They demonstrate good manners and behaviour. They frequently receive clear messages about expected behaviour and boundaries as they play. They confidently remind each other of the 'pre-school promise', such as to 'be kind' and 'no running indoors'. This helps children to understand the rules of the pre-school and to be respectful to others.

Children delight as they take part in an abundance of stimulating learning experiences. They benefit from superb, memorable experiences that teach them about the wider world. For example, they purchase items from the local garden centre to grow in their allotment. Staff then teach them how to cook with the produce that they have grown, such as making vegetable soup. Children enjoy visits to the local library and learn about oral health from a dentist visiting the pre-school. They learn about special events, such as Chinese New Year and the King's coronation. Children know that all people are different. As a result, they develop an understanding of their own uniqueness and respect for others.

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

• The dedicated management team is passionate and ambitious, with a clear vision to provide children with a rich and varied curriculum. Staff know their key children exceptionally well. They talk confidently about their starting points and the progress they have made. Staff plan clear next steps, which help to prepare children for their next stage in learning. They regularly look for ways to improve outcomes for children. For example, staff use the pre-school library they have created to promote a love of books at home.
• Children understand and follow established routines. They confidently come together when they hear the 'bells', to join in with group-time activities. Staff listen closely to children and understand when they want to share something with the group, such as a song they made up at home. They then reward children with praise and clapping. Children smile, laugh and join in with the clapping, proud of what they can do. This helps staff to reinforce children's positive social interactions and maximise their enjoyment.
• Children's health and hygiene practices are also supported effectively. Children know to wash their hands before eating and understand the need to remove potential germs. They know that in warm weather they need to wear their sun hat and to drink water to prevent them becoming dehydrated.
• Staff use their good teaching skills as they play alongside the children. However, on occasions, staff do not consistently implement their teaching effectively to encourage children to develop their own thoughts and ideas. For example, as children play with construction and craft activities, staff tell them what to make and how to do it. As a result, children's creativity and own thoughts are not always challenged to prepare them for their future learning.
• Parents are very complementary about the pre-school. They share that the staff are 'nurturing' and 'fun', and 'invest time' to ensure that their children make secure attachments. Parents value the opportunities the pre-school provides for their children. They speak highly about recent learning on basic first-aid skills, and how their children confidently know how to call 999 in the event of a medical emergency. Parents comment on how knowledgeable the staff are. They appreciate the information they receive, including learning about toilet training, emotions and healthy eating. This helps them extend children's overall development at home.
• Staff report high levels of well-being and enjoy being part of a very supportive team. Managers monitor the quality of teaching carefully. They use this information well to provide staff with coaching and training to extend their teaching skills. Recent training has helped them reflect on and enhance the language and communication curriculum, such as making sure they give children plenty of time to respond to the questions they ask. This has improved the quality of the provision.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• adapt teaching to enable children to develop their own thoughts, ideas and creativity skills further.