St Philips Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive and thoroughly enjoy attending this friendly and welcoming pre-school. They form strong bonds with the exceptionally caring staff. Children settle quickly and feel secure. They grow in confidence and are proud to be able to do things for themselves. Children, including the younger ones, confidently ask for help if they need it. Staff know the children well and provide activities that interest and excite them. For example, children play with model dinosaurs, making forests with fake plants and a mirror lake. They have interesting conversations with staff as they wonder which dinosaurs might swim, and why some have long necks. Children are curious and eager to explore. For example, they break open teabags into the water tray and notice the smell of fruit tea, and they open a spray bottle to find out how it works.

Children behave very well. They learn to share and quickly fetch a sand timer to decide when it is their turn for a favourite toy. Children follow the excellent example of staff, as they treat others with kindness and respect. When children find following boundaries difficult, staff collaborate closely with parents and other carers to ensure a consistent approach, so children understand what behaviour is expected.

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

• The owner is caring, dedicated and aspirational. She has children's well-being at the heart of all she does. The owner plans a broad and ambitious curriculum to help all children progress as well as they can. She monitors staff performance effectively and supports them in their professional development.
• Staff build on what children already know and can do so they practise and consolidate their learning. Staff assess children's progress accurately and use this to plan suitably challenging activities to meet each child's needs.
• Staff work in close partnership with parents. They regularly share information about children's progress. Staff help parents to support their children's learning at home. For example, they lend books and encourage parents to read to children every day. Parents speak very highly of the pre-school and the 'warm support' of the staff.
• Overall, staff support children's speech development very well. They speak clearly and listen attentively to children. Staff introduce unfamiliar words, such as 'graduate' and 'jubilee', and provide opportunities for children to use them in their play. For children with language difficulties, they give targeted support, including securing specialist help if needed. Children develop wide vocabularies and communicate confidently. Occasionally, some staff, in their enthusiasm, talk too much and do not give children enough time to express their own ideas.
• Children develop a love of books, which are everywhere, inside and in the garden. They are often linked to activities. Children find bugs in the log pile and use magnifying lenses to identify them from a book. They love listening to stories because staff excite and involve them in the text. Staff use props, which children later use to retell the stories. This encourages children to explore new language and ideas.
• Children develop the skills they need in readiness for learning to read and write at school. Playful activities help them hear sounds and older children begin to link these to letters in familiar words. They make marks in diverse ways and gradually give meaning to these. For example, children 'write' long shopping lists and record how many bricks they need for their building.
• Staff help children learn about healthy choices. They advise parents on how to provide healthy snacks and lunches. Mealtimes are relaxed and sociable, which encourages children to eat well. They learn more about healthy foods as they grow and cook vegetables. Children regularly help themselves to their own water bottles. They learn to use the toilet independently but are confident to ask staff if they need help.
• Children are active and choose to play outside for lengthy periods. Once a week, they visit a nearby play park, which benefits some children. However, not all children have sufficient opportunities to climb, balance, pedal and move in different and challenging ways.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff skills so they consistently give children enough time to think and express their own ideas
• provide wider opportunities for children to move in different and challenging ways to enhance support for their developing gross motor skills.