Stepping Stones Pre-School York

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy and settled at this friendly and welcoming setting. Children form strong bonds with staff, who are responsive, respectful, caring and kind. Staff support children's personal, social and emotional development well. They encourage children to share and take turns as they explore with paint and dough. They support new children to settle quickly. For example, staff put toy diggers into the sandpit ready for a child's first day, after learning from parents that these are their favourite toys. Children are busy engaged in their activities and play cooperatively with their friends. Staff praise and encourage them. They invite children to put star-shaped stickers onto a display to recognise and celebrate their achievements. This helps build children's confidence and self-esteem.

Staff provide good support for children's growing independence. They teach them to wash their hands, chop their fruit at snack time and pour their own drinks. Staff know children well. They have fun together and obviously enjoy each other's company. Staff plan exciting experiences for children that they know will interest them and extend their learning. For example, children plant sunflowers and learn about the life cycle of a butterfly first-hand.

Staff are good role models for children. They use a variety of strategies to help children to understand behavioural expectations. Children's behaviour is good.

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

• Staff provide strong support for children's physical development. Children develop their flexibility and coordination as they build pretend castles from large blocks. They build strength and spatial awareness as they push scooters and ride pedal bikes in the enclosed garden.
• Children develop their smaller muscles and learn different ways to use their hands as they explore with mud, sand and dough. Children benefit from daily fresh air and exercise. Staff talk to them about the impact that healthy drinks can have on their bodies.
• Overall, staff plan strong support for children's developing communication and language skills. They share stories with children and support them to join in with songs and rhymes. However, staff do not always introduce and model more detailed and descriptive language to children as they play.
• Children listen well to staff and are ready to learn. They concentrate and listen attentively as staff clap out the number of syllables in their names. Staff repeat words back to children. This helps to show children that their contributions are valued and understood.
• There is a strong focus on early literacy. For instance, children help to choose a book of the month. Staff use story sacks to help make storytelling interactive and use books as starting points for activities.
• Children learn about life outside the pre-school through outings and visitors to the setting. For example, staff plan trips to the park, library and post office. They arrange nature walks and football sessions for the children to enjoy.
• Staff provide good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Managers understand the importance of working with other professionals in education and health to create a consistent approach to support for children.
• Staff use children's interests to help plan activities that support children to learn new skills. For example, managers spend additional funding the setting receives on resources to help develop children's understanding of technology. This is as a result of children showing an interest in this area.
• Parents speak highly of the setting. They praise the staff, who they say are very friendly, supportive and approachable. Parents praise the activities on offer and the systems in place for communication. They say that their children are very happy and love coming to the setting.
• Managers provide strong support for their staff in terms of continuous professional development and well-being. They hold half-termly meetings with staff where they discuss training needs and evaluate together children's progress and future support.
• Managers are positive about the continuous improvement of the setting. The experienced team of staff work very well together. They work hard to provide a quality service for families and a home-from-home experience for the children in their care.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• introduce and model more detailed and descriptive language to children as they play.