Sunflower Seed Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager to attend the pre-school and demonstrate that they feel happy, safe and emotionally secure. They separate from parents with ease and warmly greet staff and other children. Upon arrival, children follow simple instructions. They take off their coats and change into their slippers to make them feel more comfortable and at home. Children build strong relationships with staff and engage in meaningful conversations. This helps them to practise their speaking skills effectively.

Children are motivated and have a positive attitude to their learning. They independently select activities they want to play with and display high levels of concentration. Children enjoy learning about mathematical concepts, such as weight, capacity and volume. They skilfully fill and empty different sized measuring cylinders in the water tray outside. This gives children the opportunity to be curious and compare and understand ideas about more and less.

Children behave well. They understand the rules and boundaries in place to help them to share and be kind to their friends. For example, children use sand timers as an effective method to support them to take turns. They are polite and well mannered and they help staff to tidy and sweep up after themselves. This helps children to develop skills they will need in future.

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

• Staff work effectively with parents. However, due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, parents are not able to go into the pre-school at the moment. Nevertheless, staff make time to ensure parents are kept up to date and use a variety of communication methods to achieve this. Parents speak highly about the pre-school and explain how staff help them to continue their children's learning at home.
• Children make good progress in their learning and demonstrate that they are ready for the next stage in their education. The manager makes links with the schools that children move on to, ensuring continuity in their learning. However, the majority of children transition to the primary school based on site. They benefit substantially from this as Reception teachers visit them weekly for regular stories and conversations. Children get to know the teachers well and build positive relationships with them. As a result, they transition seamlessly with high levels of confidence.
• Staff help children to become independent learners. Children learn to butter their toast and pour their own milk. Staff regularly praise them for having a go and trying hard. This helps children to feel motivated and boosts their self-esteem.
• Staff promote good health and hygiene practices. Staff support children to understand how to keep themselves safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff talk to the children and share books with them about the importance of handwashing. Similarly, when children sneeze, staff remind them to use their elbow to sneeze into, in order to prevent the spread of germs.
• Children's numeracy skills are positively promoted. They enjoy singing number songs and joining in with the actions. Staff help children to count by using their fingers as a visual aid. This helps children to memorise the order of numbers when counting.
• The manager supports the well-being of staff successfully through the use of supervision meetings. She makes every effort to promptly resolve any concerns staff may have. Therefore, staff feel happy and supported in their roles. However, the manager does not monitor staff's teaching closely enough to help them identify individual aspects of their practice to develop further.
• The manager evaluates the provision and identifies areas for further development. However, action is not always taken quickly. For example, the noise level in the room sometimes makes it hard for children to hear and concentrate.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to identify weaker aspects of their practice and focus more precisely on what they want children to achieve
• address identified areas for further development swiftly to achieve continuous improvements.