Sunshine Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families are very fortunate to be able to access this pre-school. Together with the children's centre, it is the heart of the local community. The setting provides nurture and support for both the children and their parents. Staff are relentless in their quest to provide children with opportunities to grow. They work with other agencies to ensure no child is left behind. Children are making very good progress as a result. Staff know children exceptionally well. They understand their starting points and any challenges they face. They put support in place to make sure all children can access learning. Quieter children are supported by staff to gain confidence as they give them one-to-one support and encouragement to engage in activities.

A significant strength of the setting is how much children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported. The staff identify gaps in progress and work tirelessly to develop children's listening skills to maximise their learning opportunities and to develop relationships. Overall, behaviour is good. Staff model calmness and kindness, and children echo this in their play. The pre-school uses strategies to support children overwhelmed by emotion. They ensure all children are safe. Staff expect all children to cooperate with each other and develop meaningful relationships. Most children interact effectively, sharing conversations about what they are each doing.

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

• Since the last inspection, the setting has worked hard to develop planning that provides challenging activities for all children. The committee and staff work closely together to ensure all staff continue to develop. Staff have worked at this setting for many years, which adds to the consistency for the children.
• Children are given countless opportunities to talk. Staff converse in children's home language to help build confidence, and they use this to prompt the use of English. Staff use ambitious language with the children like 'translucent' when talking about different materials. To encourage speech further, staff use a microphone for children to sing into. Even the quietest children are keen to have a turn to hear what their loud voice sounds like.
• Children enjoy taking reading materials home from pre-school. Staff offer lots of support for parents to encourage early reading skills. As well as books being sent home, they send leaflets and catalogues to teach children that text is everywhere.
• Children are learning about the world outside their local community. Staff acknowledge that their community is central to family life but, at the same time, they want children to learn about the world outside of their immediate surroundings. They make children curious about the natural environment which, for some, is a new experience.
• Children as young as two are developing independence by choosing their own snacks and pouring drinks into open cups. After they have eaten, they put their cups and bowls away and clear away leftover food. Staff place great importance on the children sitting together to eat. They have high expectations of all children in terms of turn-taking and the good use of manners.
• Children are encouraged to talk about their feelings and explore the topic of feeling jealous. This came from a discussion about being rewarded. Children described a feeling in their tummy when they were not chosen for a certificate. Staff gave the children the language to support this and took the discussion further by exploring other types of emotion.
• Parents say that their children have good relationships with staff. Overwhelmingly, parents claim their child's confidence has grown since attending the pre-school.
• Children develop some independence skills, such as using tissues to clean their faces. However, some staff intervene with children's self-care when it is not necessary. Therefore, staff do not always provide children with clear expectations.
• Staff provide challenge for some children in the activities they lead. Throughout the areas of provision, children are free to use the resources as they choose. However, staff do not always challenge all aspects of children's learning and development during child-led activities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently develop children's independence skills and promote their self-care
• provide a higher level of challenge to children to help extend their learning in all areas of provision, including child-led activities.