Sticky Fingers Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily at the pre-school and are excited for the day to begin. They form very secure emotional attachments with their key person and staff. Children benefit from a wide and varied curriculum. Activities ignite their interests, and staff support children well to make good progress in their learning. Children behave well and staff are consistent in their approach to managing any small disagreements when necessary. Children have a positive attitude to learning.

Staff have high expectations of the children and are committed to helping them develop new skills which they need for future learning. Children are curious and enthusiastic. Whether using their senses to explore activities in the 'dark den' or pretending to serve ice cream from the playhouse outside, children focus well and engage in conversation with their peers, developing a wide vocabulary.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the setting only closed for a short while and then reopened for some children. For children who did not attend, staff remained in contact and provided a range of activity ideas that they could complete with their families at home. This helped all children to feel included. Staff remain focused on supporting all children to develop their social skills and help to ensure their emotional well-being. This has been particularly important for children who have had limited social experiences due to the pandemic.

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

• Staff skilfully support children's learning in mathematics. Children can recognise and name shapes as they explore different textures. They recognise more complex shapes such as a semi-circle and are beginning to learn about fractions as staff introduce words such as 'half' during discussions. Staff use lots of mathematical language, and children copy this in their own play. For example, they recognise that they need one more to make four and that two is less than 12.
• Children have a wide range of opportunities to try out their ideas and develop their imagination well. They thoroughly enjoy exploring the forest school area, where they hunt for bugs. They learn how woodlice like to live in damp, dark places and can be found hiding under stones and logs. They use their imagination as they pretend to be pirates, using spades as oars as they sail in their boat in search of treasure.
• Children benefit from plenty of fresh air and exercise. They enjoy riding wheeled toys and negotiating pathways successfully in the garden. Children visit the local apple-pressing farm where they observe the process to make apple juice. They visit a farm where they learn about the animals and have a strong sense of community as they enjoy walks around the village.
• Staff know the children extremely well and provide a caring and nurturing environment. Overall, staff observe and assess children's development accurately and plan well for intended learning. However, at times, staff do not consider the best way to ensure children of different ages benefit fully from activities.
• Children learn about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. They know to wash their hands after playing outside and before eating their snack or lunch. Staff engage them well in conversation about healthy eating.
• Staff talk together every day and review their practice and the provision. They frequently assess areas of the pre-school to ensure that the children use it well to support their learning. For example, staff have developed the outside area to include a climbing wall which was made from the top of a bandstand. As children climb, they begin to develop their small-muscle skills, including their grip and grasp. This helps them to develop strength in their hands for holding a pen or pencil to practise their early writing. Staff label children's pictures for them, but they do not consistently encourage children to link sounds to letters.
• Staff are good role models and interact kindly and sensitively with the children. From a young age, children learn to share, take turns and respect each other's feelings.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents are very happy with the progress that their children make. They compliment staff on how they have helped children to develop their confidence.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the way staff implement the curriculum, to ensure they support and maximise children's learning consistently
• provide more opportunities for children to link sounds to letters.