Staunton-on-Wye Preschool and Kids Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at this welcoming nursery. They form secure relationships with the caring staff team who know them and their families well. Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff plan a range of play experiences that reflect their interests and supports their learning. They make regular assessments of what children know and can do and use this information to plan for their next steps in learning. Children behave well because they know what staff expect from them. For example, to share, take turns and use good manners. Babies are settled and content. They benefit from warm interactions and receive lots of cuddles from the nurturing staff. Staff sit alongside the youngest children as they explore animals in the sand tray. They introduce single words and associative sounds to support their emerging speech.

Staff provide children with a range of play experiences outside in the fresh air. Young children explore textures, such as ice. They develop strength in their hands in readiness for early writing as they use tools to break up the ice to explore what is inside. Pre-school children display good problem-solving skills. They think, predict and work together to build a 'mouse house' with sticks. Pre-school children express their creativity. They use a selection of natural resources, such as leaves and flowers to make pictures to take home.

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

• The leadership team work well together and have a good understanding of their individual roles and responsibilities. They have an accurate overview of the nursery's strengths and identify areas for development. For example, to embed staffs' understanding of the newly implemented curriculum. Leaders meet regularly with staff to discuss best practice and identify training needs. However, they do not precisely target professional development opportunities on the individual needs of staff, to raise the quality of teaching to the highest level. That said, staff are very happy in their roles. They report high levels of support from leaders for their well-being.
• Staff have a generally secure understanding of what they want children to learn during planned activities, such as promoting independence and developing communication and language skills. However, staff do not always focus their teaching on the intended learning outcome. For example, they sometimes complete tasks for children rather than encouraging independence and miss moments during play to enrich children's language through high-quality Additionally, staff do not consistently use children's planned next steps to inform adult-led activities. This reduces the impact of teaching and the opportunities for children to build on what they already know and can do.
• Staff build warm relationships with children and are attentive to their needs.
• However, there are times when young children find it difficult to sustain concentration and become deeply engaged in their learning. This is because staff do not always effectively organise themselves or the learning environment to fully support young children's curiosity and motivation to learn.
• Staff effectively support children's good health. They attend to children's personal care with sensitivity and ensure good hygiene practice is followed. For example, they gently remind children to wash their hands at regular intervals throughout the day. Babies sleep peacefully and comfortably because staff follow familiar routines from home. They carry out regular checks to ensure babies are safe and well, promoting their health and emotional security.
• The key person system is effective. Children form secure, trusting relationships with familiar adults who understand their individual needs. Strong partnerships with parents ensure a consistent approach to care and learning. Key persons regularly share information and work closely with parents to support each child's development and well-being. Parents speak highly of the caring staff team, valuing their open and regular communication. They comment on the good levels of progress their children make and how happy children are to attend.
• Partnerships with the local school and other providers are well established. Staff share relevant information with them to ensure other professionals are fully informed about children's individual needs. This supports a consistent and complementary approach to children's learning and helps to ensure a smooth transition between settings when the time comes.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• target professional development opportunities more precisely on staffs' individual needs to raise the quality of teaching to the highest level
• support staff to include children's next steps in planned activities and to focus on intended learning outcomes to help children make even better progress
• strengthen the organisation of the learning environment for young children to better support their curiosity and motivation to learn.