Sunbeams Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

On arrival, children cannot wait to get involved. They happily leave their parents to speak with staff, greet their friends and choose activities in the extremely stimulating learning environment created by staff. The choices on offer inspire children's natural curiosity. Children are inquisitive and highly motivated to learn. They confidently explore, investigate and enjoy the challenge of finding things out for themselves.

Children's good health is supported exceptionally well. Children are physically active outside every day and staff provide them with a healthy snack. In conversation about why their bodies need healthy food, children say, 'to give us lots of energy'. Staff never fail to promote children's learning through their interactions with them. At snack time, children talk with staff about the shapes they can create with pieces of fruit. They tell staff that two semi-circles put together make a circle.

Children develop independence, including managing their own hygiene and personal needs. They confidently make choices and decisions about their play. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They form strong friendships and care about each other. Children learn to identify and talk about their different emotions. They use their superb language skills to share ideas while working together to complete their chosen challenges, such as building a bridge with construction blocks. Through skilful questioning, staff encourage children to solve problems for themselves. Children continually engage in conversation with staff and their friends while they play.

Children develop detailed knowledge and outstanding skills across the seven areas of learning. This prepares them exceptionally well for the next stage of their education. Staff continually offer excellent support. They encourage children to lead their own learning, while staying alert to all opportunities to help children acquire new knowledge.

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

• The manager is an inspirational leader. She leads her committed staff team with passion to ensure the best possible outcomes for all children. The manager values staff's knowledge and experience. She ensures that both children and staff's welfare and self-confidence are given a high priority. Staff work as a team to ensure they implement a fully effective curriculum that meets the needs of every child.
• Recruitment and selection procedures are thorough. The manager has very high expectations to ensure that staff joining the team have the potential to become as highly skilled as other staff members.
• Staff continually observe children, assess their stage of development and ensure that every child's learning constantly builds on what they have already achieved. Children make rapid progress. Staff regularly share assessments with parents. With parents' permission, they liaise with external agencies or services to ensure children get any additional support they need.
• Every day begins with a meeting before children arrive so staff can share information about their key children's interests and how they can be challenged to reach the next steps in their learning. Consequently, every child's learning needs are continually addressed exceptionally well by all staff.
• Staff's skills are superb in consistently supporting children's language development. Staff speak clearly and use children's enjoyment of singing and story times to extend vocabulary and support those who find some sounds difficult to pronounce. Children sing songs that they have learned at home, and they are delighted when asked by staff to teach them the songs. Staff continually boost children's confidence and self-esteem.
• Staff organise activities that focus on children's speaking and listening skills, turn taking, and the link between letters and sounds. A staff member organises a 'silly soup' group activity, including an apple, orange, tomato, grape and pepper. The staff member chooses a card that shows the first letter of each item and repeats the sound, such as 'p p p'. She asks children what item she should put in the bowl to make their soup. This is repeated with children taking turns. They are fully engaged and gleefully join in with the 'silly soup' rhyme, which the staff member ensures is said at a pace that means all can easily join in.
• Children are delighted to listen to stories. They know that the author's name is printed on the book. They keenly offer their ideas when the staff member asks, 'Do we know any other books written by her?' The staff member reads with excellent intonation and expression, emphasising the rhyming words. Children are fully engaged. They join in with familiar refrains, anticipate well and are very proud to say, 'We remembered it'.
• Staff are fully aware of children's interests and use these to promote learning across different areas. Children are currently interested in different occupations, such as police and firefighters. Some children dress up in police costumes and talk to staff about the badge on their helmet. Staff suggest that they all try drawing the badge. Children identify the different shapes in the badge. Their pencil control is excellent as they copy what they can see and then write their names under their pictures.
• Partnerships with parents are excellent. Parents enthusiastically share their views about the provision. They comment on the 'personal attention for each child' and say that 'staff are amazing'. Parents are very happy with methods of communication. They appreciate the way that staff support children's independence. Parents identify how quickly their children settled in. They are extremely happy with the quality of care and education provided.