Staple Hill Stars Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed into the pre-school by the kind and caring staff team. They are encouraged to hang their belongings on their named coat pegs and self-register before entering their room. Children are supported to feel safe and secure. They form strong relationships with the staff. Children are comforted and reassured as they receive lots of cuddles from the kind and caring staff.

Children access a wide range of inviting resources and soon settle into their chosen play. They are supported by staff to extend their learning. Children enjoy building towers with large wooden blocks. They learn to play cooperatively and eagerly add blocks to make the tower as tall as the cabinet beside them. Small groups of children initiate their own games. They follow familiar sequences and assign each other roles as they play hide and seek. Children take turns and count to 10 before finding each other. They giggle with excitement as they hide behind the door and wait to be found.

Children move freely between the indoors and outdoors. They learn to manage risks safely as they build an obstacle course. Children display good physical skill and coordination as they jump from hoop to hoop and hold their arms out to balance on a wooden plank. They are proud of their achievements and excitedly call out, 'I did it!'.

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

• Children benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum. They display positive attitudes to learning. Staff regularly observe children's play and skilfully extend their learning in the moment. For example, when young children display an interest in technology, staff swiftly provide them with a computer keyboard. Children look at the letters and symbols on the keys and enthusiastically press the buttons as they pretend to type.
• Staff value and celebrate the diverse nature of the pre-school. A large number of children speak English as an additional language. Staff familiarise themselves with keywords in the children's home language to support their communication and understanding at pre-school. They send home voice recorders so parents can record the correct pronunciation of words. This helps staff to better understand children who use their home language at pre-school, and also helps them to correctly pronounce words when using them in return.
• Staff follow consistent behaviour management strategies throughout the pre-school. They quickly redirect undesired behaviour, such as throwing. Staff are calm in their approach and acknowledge children's desire to throw. They explain that balls are for throwing and suggest going outside to practise this.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are promptly identified and supported well. Staff spend time getting to know children, on a one-to-one basis, to shadow their interactions and assess their level of need. They quickly implement effective strategies to support children to make high levels of progress.
• Staff make sure children are familiar with the daily routine of the pre-school. They use visual timetables to support children's understanding of what is happening throughout the day, and what is coming next. However, children's learning is sometimes interrupted as the transition between outdoor play and lunchtime routines is not always effectively managed. For example, when children finish tidying up outside, staff lead children into the room to join an adult-led circle time which is already taking place. This interrupts children's attention and reduces their level of engagement.
• The management team are ambitious and strive for excellence. They are reflective and identify areas for ongoing improvement. For instance, the managers' plan to enhance the programme for staff's professional development. They explain how they aim to work with individual staff to precisely identify their training needs and further raise the quality of their teaching.
• Staff share information about children's learning and development through an online learning journal. They make themselves available at drop-off and collection times to speak with parents and share information as and when it is required. However, on occasions, staff do not share informative feedback with parents about their children's time at pre-school, to support parents to continue or extend it at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review transitions between children's play and adult-led lunchtime routines in the pre-school room, to minimise interruption to children's learning and promote consistently high levels of engagement
• support staff to consistently share information with parents about children's time at pre-school, to fully support their involvement and help them to extend children's learning at home.