Stewartby Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in the well-established pre-school. They embrace the learning experiences they receive through the exceptionally well-planned curriculum. Staff expertly plan activities and provide resources that target what children need to know and understand next. There is a clear sequence that builds on what children can already do, helping to prepare them for the next stage in their educational journey at school. For example, staff give children many opportunities to help strengthen and coordinate their core muscles. Children rapidly build their confidence to have a go, practise and strengthen their skills. This is in advance of refining children's fine motor control of their fingers and hands to help prepare them for early writing skills. Staff combine what they want children to learn next with seasonal themes and children's own interests. This helps to inspire and motivate children to enthusiastically continue to experiment and explore independently and with their friends.

Children are curious to find out about the world around them. For example, after playing a game to move small models of bees from honey to a dry dish, they carefully study honeycomb. Children cut, smell and feel the honeycomb. Staff encourage them to recall the facts they have been told about how honey is produced, emphasising words such as 'nectar'. Staff give children even more information to help build on what they already understand, helping to expand their knowledge even further. Children make the most of their play and interactions with staff. The industrious environment helps to promote children's desire to learn and cooperate with their peers and staff, leading to their highly positive attitudes and behaviours towards learning.

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

• Staff know all the children exceptionally well. Together, they discuss the how they can support children in the most effective ways. They take into account the experiences children share with their families and ensure that all children make new and exciting memories to help optimise their learning. Children join in regular sessions provided by external professionals and specialists. Staff support their key children during these activities, frequently extending children's knowledge through the questions they ask. For example, while children enjoy a matching game based on the sounds of the letters they hear at the beginning of words, staff add more facts. They ask children what they know about moles and introduce more information and different words to children's vocabulary.
• Providers ensure that all children make the best progress they can. They use additional funding that some children receive in ways that help close any existing or emerging gaps in their learning. Staff work very closely with other professionals and agencies. They seek advice and follow the strategies that others have put in place to provide continuity in targeted areas. For example, speech and language therapists visit on a regular basis. They guide staff through new strategies and ideas that contribute to children's individual plans. As a result, all children make the very best progress in their evolving communication and language skills.
• Children behave very well. Staff ensure that they support children to begin to recognise and regulate their emotions and behaviours. They explain to parents about the resources they use within the pre-school to support children's emotional development, such as particular storybooks. Staff acknowledge how children might be feeling, helping them recognise and manage their emotions. In turn, children learn how they can regulate their feelings and their behaviours towards others. This helps children to feel settled in preparation to continue learning. As a result, children feel valued in the calm and harmonious environment within the pre-school.
• Parents report that they feel extremely well supported by leaders and staff. They describe how staff go 'above and beyond' to help them in their parenting roles. This helps to ensure that children continue to flourish. Staff sensitively hold discussions with parents and, when necessary, help them find additional support in the community. Staff give general information about different aspects of care and education through informative newsletters and a secure, private social media account. For example, they send screen-shots of how to navigate an application form for school. Parents feel they are listened to by staff and feel their children receive the very best care and education.
• The dedicated team of staff is motivated to continue to develop their professional knowledge and understanding. They focus on areas of interest that purposefully support their work with any given cohort of children. They cascade new information and strategies to the rest of the team, helping to maintain a consistently high quality of teaching, assessment and care. For example, staff have recently attended a course to help strengthen children's vocabulary, confidence in speaking and opportunities to be creative. The structured creation of stories is observed by the team, who, in turn, take elements of the theory and practice they see into their own teaching. This contributes to the excellent teaching and learning fostered in the pre-school.