Stratton Pre-School, Cirencester

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed into the setting by the nurturing and kind staff team. They settle promptly and are keen to explore the wide range of inviting activities on offer. Children who are new to the setting receive plenty of cuddles and reassurance from staff. This helps them to feel emotionally secure. Staff invite children to choose a story to read. Children sit on staff's lap and quickly become absorbed in the storyline. They are familiar with the characters, and repeat key phrases from the story.

Children benefit from daily opportunities for outdoor play. They develop good physical skills. Children carefully walk across balance beams and climb across ladders. Staff offer children lots of support and encouragement. They hold children's hands to help them gain the confidence they need to have a go on their own. Older children proudly show visitors how they can jump from a bench and land on two feet. Children develop mathematical skills and knowledge. They think and predict as they complete a puzzle. Children count the puzzle pieces and are beginning to recognise numbers. Staff clap and celebrate with children as they accurately count up to 26.

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

• The manager and deputy manager work well together. They are passionate about ensuring that every child in their care has the best possible experience at the setting. Staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They attend regular supervision meetings with the manager and access training to support their practice.
• Staff get to know children and their families well. Once children are settled, staff complete assessments to identify what children already know and can do, and plan for their future learning goals. All staff are aware of children's next steps in learning. Their interactions with children during play are precisely focused. Children make good progress in their learning.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, receive effective support from the staff team. The special educational needs coordinator is dedicated to her role. She works closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that children receive a targeted approach to their learning and are supported to reach their full potential.
• The manager and staff team are reflective. They accurately identify the setting's strengths, as well as areas for improvement. For example, they recently reviewed the snack-time routine and introduced a ten-minute timer to each table, to promote focus at snack time and improve children's eating habits. However, the manager is yet to consistently seek the views of parents on the evaluation of the setting, to inspire further improvements and promote the best possible outcomes for children.
• Parents speak highly of the setting and the care and education that staff provide for children. They feel thoroughly informed about their children's progress, and value the observations and photographs that are shared on children's online learning records. Parents highlight the supportive nature of the manager and staff. They state that staff have a deep understanding of each child's individual needs and development, which makes them feel like their child is the only one who attends.
• Older children are successfully supported to be ready for the move to school and their onward educational journey. Children display high levels of independence. Staff encourage children to have a go at doing things for themselves before offering to help. Children learn to manage their own personal care, and to collect their coats and put them on, ready for outdoor play.
• The manager shares information with parents about healthy and nutritious lunch box ideas. Children learn to wash their hands before mealtimes and are encouraged to select fruit from their lunch box for their morning snack. However, staff are yet to use these daily routines to fully promote children's awareness of the benefits on their body by making these choices, to further support their understanding of a healthy lifestyle.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the already good procedures for self-evaluation to include the views of parents and inspire further improvement to promote the best possible outcomes for children
• consider further ways to promote children's awareness of the benefits of healthy choices to fully support their understanding of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.