Sunshine Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children cannot wait to start learning in the engaging environment created by staff. They say good morning to each other as a group, listening carefully to their friends and staff. Children confidently recall and demonstrate their understanding of the rules staff have for how they should behave. They explain to each other that having 'kind hands' means sharing. Children wait politely during snack. They show understanding of how to take turns and make sure there is enough food for their friends. Staff praise children for independently scooping cereal, pouring a drink and washing their bowls when they have finished.

Children have close bonds with all staff. They feel safe and secure enough to explore the setting freely and make choices in their play. Children confidently share their ideas and knowledge, especially during imaginative play. They develop their hand muscles, squeezing the handle of water spray bottles to spray each other, staff and visitors. Children giggle and explain that they are pretending to put 'sun cream' on and suggest 'rubbing it in'. They discuss with staff how this keeps them safe. Children develop skills, such as holding a pencil, and use mark-making skills, in preparation for school. They ask for support from staff to write letters and draw pictures. Children decide that these pictures look like Christmas decorations. This leads to staff helping the children decorate a corner of the room and get ready for a Christmas celebration. Children remind staff, 'We have to tidy up first!'

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

• Parents and carers comment that the setting is the 'best place for children's early years education'. They say that children come on in leaps and bounds thanks to the education and care provided by staff. Staff communicate well with parents and share ideas on how to support children's learning at home.
• The managers work alongside staff daily, observing and providing feedback on their practice to have a positive impact on teaching. They provide continual training for all staff. The managers and staff find out about children's different background and cultures. They use this information to help children feel proud of what makes them different, and plan learning opportunities around celebrations that are important to them. Staff reflect on the experiences they provide children to ensure their needs are met well.
• Staff help children to learn a breadth of good manners. They remind children to be polite and respectful to one another. Staff teach them how to negotiate if they want the same resource. Children demonstrate their understanding of daily routines and boundaries. For example, children queue patiently to wash their hands without support and put resources back when they have finished playing.
• Staff know children well and enjoy playing alongside them. They identify what their key children know and can do and what interests them. Staff focus on supporting children with what they need to learn next and help their key children make progress. However, this information is not always shared fully across the staff team. At times during play, staff do not recognise how best to help some children with their learning. Therefore, sometimes children do not make the most progress they are capable of.
• Staff plan learning opportunities that capture children's imagination. They clearly consider important skills and the knowledge children need when planning activities. Staff encourage children to problem-solve while investigating a tray of resources based on a farm. They help children identify where different farm animals would prefer to play, such as why pigs would like the soil section. Staff explain to children the similarities and differences between Brussel sprouts on the tray and a lettuce, discussing appearance and texture with them.
• Staff develop children's love of stories and books. They interact with children while they play with a doll's house and liken it to the story of the three bears. Staff support children to practise familiar phrases they know, including 'but the bed was too hard'. However, staff do not always fully support children's learning of vocabulary. At times, they do not teach children more complex words or repeat words to children with the correct pronunciation.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the sharing of information between children's key persons and other staff so that children's learning and development can be further supported during play
• provide children with further support to pronounce words accurately and learn new vocabulary.