St Pauls pre-school Brinnington

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily. They are greeted by warm and caring staff as they enter the pre-school. This helps children to feel emotionally secure. Staff help children to develop their abilities in undertaking tasks for themselves. For example, children hang up their own coats. This supports them to be independent. Staff provide interesting and exciting experiences. This helps children to develop positive attitudes to learning. They are enthusiastic and eager to join in with activities. For example, children enjoy moving around like different animals as part of a singing and dancing activity.

Staff have high expectations of children and help those with gaps in their learning to catch up. For example, they create an environment that offers children challenge so that they are in charge of their own play and learning. For example, children navigate a climbing wall, working out how to climb to the top. This helps children to take responsibility for the decisions they make and to be confident to give things a go. Staff know what children are able to do and support them to learn new knowledge and skills, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development. For example, staff help children to feel secure in the presence of familiar adults and support them to engage in new experiences. In addition, staff work with other professionals to identify and implement extra support that some children need. This helps all children to make good progress in their learning and development.

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

• The manager has clear intent for the curriculum. She knows what she wants children to learn and shares this with staff. The manager and staff together focus on the key skills that children need, particularly in language development. For example, staff use new language with children, such as 'yawn' and 'stretch'. This helps children to understand the association between words and actions.
• Staff undertake regular training and they work closely together as a small, committed team to identify ways in which to improve practice. For example, staff observe each other and talk about what they are doing well and how they can make things better. This helps them to continue to provide good-quality care for children.
• Staff provide a range of experiences to support children to play alongside others and develop their social skills. For instance, staff and children sit together singing songs and digging for worms. Staff also encourage children to take turns, for example, when they roll cars down a ramp. This supports children to build relationships and interact with others.
• Staff give high priority to promoting children's physical development. They provide children with lots of opportunities for fresh air and exercise. For example, children play outdoors every day, where they climb through tunnels, up steps and learn how to jump down safely. This supports them to develop control over their bodies and helps them to engage in healthy lifestyles.
• Staff build good relationships with parents. Parents feel the relationships between children and staff help children to feel happy in the pre-school. However, the manager and staff have not identified and implemented different ways to help parents to continue to support children's learning at home. This means that there is not always a consistent approach towards children's learning and development, to help them make as much progress as they can.
• Children are encouraged and take great pleasure in using their imagination. For example, they are excited to dress up as superheroes. Staff allow children's creativity to flourish.
• Staff teach children about how to keep themselves safe. For example, staff remind children not to walk around holding scissors after using them at the creative table. This helps children to learn about risks and dangers, and the actions they can take to prevent them being hurt.
• Staff support children to develop their mathematical awareness. For example, staff help children to count how many others are sitting at each table at snack time. This helps children to be able to count in sequence.
• Children are provided with rich opportunities to experiment with the different marks they can make. They are developing confidence in holding and using different equipment. For example, children enjoy using chalk on the floor outdoors and observing the patterns they make. This helps children to develop the skills they need for early writing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen further the partnership with parents so that they are able to extend their children's learning at home.