Sunshine Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting eager to play and interact with their friends. Staff warmly welcome them and help them to settle in and get busy exploring the environment within pre-school. Children very clearly demonstrate that they feel safe and secure with staff. The happy, relaxed atmosphere helps children to settle quickly. When children require emotional support, staff provide nurturing cuddles, which calm and soothe them.

Managers and staff are ambitious for all children and support them well. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress. The well-designed curriculum supports all children's learning. Children are inquisitive and eager to have a go at new experiences. For example, they are delighted to see dinosaurs trapped in ice, which they can explore. They concentrate on trying to free them from the ice. Staff model words such as 'cold' and 'smooth'. This introduces children to new language and supports them in developing their speech.

Children's behaviour in this setting is excellent. Staff have taken care to teach children positive behaviours and routines. They help children to build on these skills as they grow and move through each room. For instance, staff adapted circle times for different age groups and differing needs. As a result, older children are able to listen carefully and benefit from the high-quality teaching. This prepares children well for their transition to school.

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

• Staff have a good understanding of their curriculum and how children learn. Overall, they plan a rich and varied selection of well-organised activities to encourage children to explore and build on what they already know. This helps children to make good progress.
• Support for children with SEND and those who may be at risk of falling behind is extremely good. The special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) works closely with families, staff and other agencies involved in children's care. Leaders and staff are quick to implement specific and personalised support to ensure that these children's needs are met. This enables children with SEND to benefit from highly effective support with their ongoing progress. The effective use of additional funding enables children to access high-quality care and learning opportunities throughout their time at the pre-school.
• Staff teach communication and language skills very well. For example, pre-school children take turns in a circle-time activity, which gives every child the opportunity to take part and practise their speaking skills.
• All children make good progress. Staff are very knowledgeable of each child's and family's needs. This includes children who require additional support or who speak English as an additional language. Activities are provided with a focus on supporting each child's unique needs. The children settle well, feel safe and secure, and enjoy their time at pre-school.
• Staff encourage children to be independent. For example, children know where to store their belongings and where to access tissues. Staff promote children's good health by teaching them about handwashing before they eat. Children learn important life skills.
• Staff work closely with parents to help them provide nutritious meals for their children. For example, the children eat a range of fruit and have a choice of water or milk. Parents are given suggestions for healthy options for lunch boxes. This supports children's good physical health.
• Staff support children to develop their social skills and work together. Children take turns in collecting fruit at snack time. This helps children to learn about other people's needs.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents leave glowing testimonials that praise the staff team. They feel supported with how to help their children at home and receive regular updates about their children's learning.
• The manager works very closely with her well-established team. Staff say that they enjoy working at the setting and there is a culture of respect and good communication between staff. The manager meets regularly with staff to offer advice and support. However, she has not fully established arrangements to identify any gaps in staff's knowledge and target staff's professional development to continue to refine the quality of teaching.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen and enhance supervision arrangements to support staff's professional development needs, knowledge and skills.