Sundon Stars Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and happy. They respond positively to the welcoming environment and independently select from a good range of resources and activities. Children become engaged in their play and develop relationships with their peers and the staff. For example, children play cooperatively together in the role-play area. They dress the dolls, prepare different foods and make a pretend birthday cake to share with their friends and the staff. Children use their developing muscle strength to mould and manipulate dough. They learn how to use associated tools, such as rolling pins and cutters.

Children explore frozen ice. They describe the ice as 'cold' and 'slippery' and eagerly use hammers to break the ice as they search for hidden dinosaurs. Children enjoy being physically active in the fresh air. They manoeuvre wheeled toys with developing confidence. Children use their imaginations and think of ways to move across the plastic crates. Younger children crawl across the upturned crates and pretend an upturned crate is a train. Older children demonstrate their coordination and jumping skills as they enthusiastically jump in and out of the upturned plastic crates. Children develop their throwing skills as they throw bean bags into a container. They cheer and raise their arms in the air when they are successful.

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

• The newly appointed manager demonstrates a clear vision for the nursery. She is enthusiastic and already has plans to further enhance learning experiences provided for the children. For example, she plans to create a garden in the outdoor area to develop children's understanding of nature and growth, and to develop relationships with staff at the adjoining school to aid children's transitions to school.
• The manager and staff structure the curriculum to build on what children know and can already do, while taking account of their interests. They have a clear intent about what they want children to learn as they play. However, on occasions staff do not always use spontaneous opportunities to further extend, engage and challenge the children's learning as they play.
• Children are warmly greeted by the staff on their arrival. They receive reassurance if they are upset and ask for help if needed. This positive interaction helps children to develop attachments and supports their emotional well-being. Children demonstrate good behaviour and follow the pre-school routine well. They learn to share, take their turn and to be kind to others.
• Overall, staff promote children's communication and language skills well. Children have opportunities to choose rhymes and songs they would like to sing. Older children use language to describe what they are doing and to recall things they have done at home. Additionally, staff skilfully provide a narrative about what the children are doing as they play, for example, with the doll's house and associated figures. However, on occasions, children who speak English as an additional language are not always encouraged to practise their developing use of English vocabulary as they play.
• Children enjoy sharing story books with the staff. They learn to listen, show an interest in the illustrations and recall aspects of the story. They use their developing vocabulary to talk about the different animals and count the number of animals on the page. Additionally, children have opportunities to develop their early mark-making skills. They use large paint brushes and water to make marks on the chalk board and wooden fence, and have access to colouring pencils and paper.
• Staff have a good understanding of the children's dietary requirements, preferences, and food allergies. This ensures children's individual needs are met. Snack and mealtimes are sociable occasions. Children develop good table manners and independence. They learn to carefully pour their drink and use appropriate cutlery to cut the fruit. Staff closely supervise children as they eat. They successfully use this opportunity to talk about the importance of healthy eating and to develop children's understanding of where food comes from.
• The manager and staff gather a good range of information from parents and/or carers at the start of the placement. This effectively supports continuity in children's care and learning. In addition, parents are able to access information about their child's day on a dedicated app.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make more effective use of spontaneous opportunities to extend and challenge children's learning
• enhance opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to practise their developing use of English vocabulary as they play.