Sunflower Sherards

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children confidently part from their parents and carers on arrival at the pre-school, where they are greeted by kind and caring staff. Children are greeted by their friends and quickly join them in their play. Some enjoy using their imagination as they dress in beautiful princess costumes and parade through the setting. Staff are close by to help and support children, always encouraging them to have a go before stepping in. This helps them to become strong and confident. Children are caring and thoughtful towards each other. They use good manners and speak kindly. When children show a fear of flying insects, others come to protect them. Staff act as good role models, calmly speaking to children and encouraging them to share the resources and work together.

Children understand the daily routines and enthusiastically participate in group activities, such as an adult-led dance and movement session. They efficiently follow the staff's instructions to wave their 'pom-poms' high in the air, down low or round and round in a circle. Staff use such activities to encourage children to exercise their fingers in preparation for developing their early writing skills.

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

• The senior management team has improved its effectiveness significantly since the last inspection. Staff and managers feel more supported in their roles and are now provided with better opportunities to access training. Staff receive regular supervision and support to help them to fulfil their roles.
• Staff now receive more effective training to help them understand the pre-school's safeguarding procedures, which have been updated to include what action to take for any allegations against staff. Staff are deployed effectively, so children are well supervised. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities has been reviewed and improved to help them make good progress.
• Parents speak highly of the staff and management team. They comment that they feel their children are safe and well cared for. Those with children who require special care feel that staff implement effective care plans to ensure their children remain well and safe. Parents say that a key strength of the pre-school is that staff are so caring towards their children.
• Children listen attentively to stories read excitingly and engagingly by staff. They join in with their favourite parts and enjoy predicting what is going to happen next in the story. Children enthusiastically participate in singing and rhyme sessions, choosing their favourite songs.
• Children enjoy participating in creative activities. At times, staff use too much direction, preventing children from freely expressing themselves. Staff provide some resources to enable children to choose creative materials. But, these are not presented invitingly to enthuse and excite the children to use them.
• Staff find out about children's home language when they first start at the pre-school. However, they do not always make the best use of their knowledge of children's home languages to help children communicate and articulate their needs in their play.
• Children have access to some resources that help them develop an interest in mathematics. However, staff do not routinely use language that helps to enhance children's interest in mathematics in their everyday activities.
• Staff encourage children to engage in conversations as they ask clear and purposeful questions. Staff allow time for children to consider their thoughts and respond. This helps to enhance children's knowledge and develop their communication and language skills.
• Children have good opportunities to extend their knowledge of the wider community when they go for walks in the local area. They visit parks and playgrounds, shops and other places of interest. Managers and staff plan to further enhance children's outdoor experiences, both in the pre-school garden and through such trips.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the use of available resources and teaching strategies to promote children's creativity and enable them to freely express themselves
• build on staff's understanding of the importance of using children's home languages to help children understand and extend their communication skills
• strengthen the implementation of mathematics to support children to use numbers and counting during their play.