St Peter And St Mary's Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this welcoming and inclusive pre-school. Staff greet children with warm interactions. This helps children to settle quickly and feel safe and secure. Children are keen to explore the interesting activities on offer and play with their friends. They enjoy playing in the pre-school garden. There is a hive of activity as children race around the garden path on ride-on toys. They call out, 'You can't catch me, I am fast'. Children have good opportunities to be imaginative and bring their fantasies alive. For example, they enjoy being 'builders' and 'shopkeepers'.

Children experience a variety of stories, rhymes and songs which help them develop a wide vocabulary. Older children begin to explore rhyming words. They giggle and show their delight as they call out 'fly' and 'High'. Children are curious to gain further knowledge. For example, they share their thoughts and ideas of why it is cold outside and say, 'it is winter and 'it is freezing and frosty'.

Children are developing their independence. They use the toilet independently and wash and dry their hands. Children put their coats on when going outside. They have good manners and say 'please' and 'thank you' without prompting from staff.

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

• The manager and staff offer an inspiring and sequenced curriculum. This means that all children, including those who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress. Staff build on what children already know and can do. Children are well supported with achieving their next steps. The setting uses additional funding effectively to support children's individual needs. For example, they provide extra hours and one-to-one support.
• The dedicated manager has a clear and ambitious vision for the pre-school. She is passionate about offering high-quality care and education. The manager prioritises staff's well-being. She provides training opportunities for them to continue learning. Staff feedback that they enjoy their job and that they are extremely well supported.
• Staff skilfully teach mathematics during everyday activities. For example, during imaginative play, staff ask children how many eggs they want for breakfast. Children learn prepositions, such as 'in front of' and 'behind' as they line up and pretend to be a train. Younger children count blocks as they build a tower and learn about two-dimensional shapes.
• Books are accessible everywhere in the pre-school. Children become enthralled as staff tell stories with expression and joy. They use non-fiction books to learn about the animals who live in the wild. Children tell staff that 'hippos are not friends with lions'. The pre-school offers support with home learning through a book-lending scheme.
• Children's behaviour is generally good. Staff praise children for their good behaviour. However, staff do not consistently help children understand the consequences of their actions. For example, when younger children throw toys, they are not given an explanation as to why it is unacceptable behaviour.
• Children are enthusiastic and active learners. They look through recipe books together and discuss their ideas of what they would like to cook. Younger children become immersed as they explore the sand. They use toy diggers to scoop up the sand and use their fingers to make lines. Children watch intently as sand falls from their hands and rub it between their fingers to see how it feels.
• Staff encourage children to be independent during snack time. Children line up and serve their own snack. They spread butter on toast with a knife and pour their drink. However, during snack times some children are waiting around as there are not enough spaces at the snack table. As a result of this, children become frustrated and restless.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents speak positively about the pre-school and say that the staff are 'kind', 'caring' and 'approachable'. Staff keep parents fully up to date with their children's learning and development through an online app and daily feedback. Parents state that their children are thriving and love coming to the pre-school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to give children clear and consistent messages on behavioural expectations, to help them manage their own behaviour more effectively
• review and improve the routines at snack time, so that children do not become frustrated and restless while they wait for their food and drink.