St Williams Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy attending this warm and welcoming setting. On arrival, they are greeted by caring staff and quickly settle into a routine that is familiar to them. This shows they feel safe and secure. The atmosphere is calm, and children are engaged. Staff have developed a curriculum that is sequenced and builds on what children need to learn next. They take account of what interest's them and organise the environment in a way that supports their needs and next steps in development. This helps children to make good progress in their learning.

Children develop a positive attitude to learning. They keep trying when they want to achieve a set outcome. For example, when trying to fit peg puzzle pieces in place, they twist and turn them until they fit. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children share and take turns with their friends when playing. When they need support, staff are gentle in their approach, talking quietly and reminding them of the rules. This enables them to develop an understanding of right and wrong and of acceptable behaviour. Staff offer praise throughout the day for children's achievements, such as unique pictures they have created. This helps boost children's self-esteem.

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

• Staff provide effective support for children with special educations needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with parents to ensure a joined-up approach in supporting children's needs. Staff ensure that they make swift referrals to outside agencies. This helps children get the support they need to make good progress in their learning.
• Children are developing a love of books and reading. They select books independently and spend time studying the pages before turning them over. Children listen to a wide range of books that staff read to them. They snuggle on their lap and engross themselves in the story. Staff make story time an enjoyable experience. Furthermore, they enjoy going to the local library to borrow books.
• Children's early mathematical skills are developing well. Staff are skilled in how to teach mathematics in a fun way. For example, they pretend to count money during role play when paying for their imaginary petrol. Staff use a range of language such as 'full' and 'empty' to support children's understanding of volume. They demonstrate how to create patterns from construction equipment. These experiences support children to have a secure base knowledge of mathematics.
• Overall, children's communication and language skills are supported well. Staff have lots of conversations during play. They join in role play, taking on characters and discussing creations they have made in the sand. However, staff do not always make the most of their interactions to fully develop children's vocabulary. For example, when children proudly show staff what they have drawn, staff do not use the opportunity to discuss what children have drawn to increase children's vocabulary.
• Staff support children's independence. For example, children enjoy making choices in their learning, such as playing indoors or outdoors. They have learned to take off their shoes and put on their own boots. At snack time, children know to wash their hands before eating. They pour their own drinks and serve their own food. These experiences give children a good base for their next stage in learning.
• Children's physical development is a key strength. Staff provide children with a wide range of opportunities to develop their large and small muscles. For example, children develop their large muscles as they ride bikes, carefully steering around a roundabout. Staff use stop and go signs to develop their skills and abilities further. Children enjoy concentrating on manipulating small construction parts as they build their finger muscles. This supports early writing skills.
• Staff feel they are well supported by the management team and they have manageable workloads. They value the regular supervision they receive and feel their voices are heard. Staff benefit from lots of training opportunities. For example, how to support children with additional needs. This ensures that they continually improve their teaching to help improve outcomes for children.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that children's individual needs are met. Parents feel well informed about their child's learning and receive ideas of how they can support their child's learning at home. For example, staff send termly reports home to show progress children have made. Parents are happy with the way that staff support their children when they start through the settling-in sessions that the pre-school offers.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's skills, so they can fully support and extend children's communication and language.