Sunshine Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nursery owner is a good role model to her management team and staff. They are highly skilled and work well together to create a safe and happy environment for all children to play and learn in. Children arrive happily at the pre-school. They are greeted individually and warmly by staff and respond positively to their nurturing attention. Children benefit from a healthy breakfast and enjoy conversations with the other children and staff as they eat. They move confidently around the well-organised room and show deep engagement as they access the wide range of activities. Children show they are familiar with rhymes, songs and stories, joining in with words and actions enthusiastically, including in languages other than their own.

Staff use innovative methods to help children to develop an awareness of their own safety. For example, they work collaboratively with a dog charity to help children develop a knowledge of how to promote safe interactions with dogs. Children show kindness to their friends. When they see other children struggling with a task, they are quick to offer help. Staff quickly identify children who need extra support in their development. This helps all children to achieve and progress well.

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

• All staff share a joint vision to continue to provide high-quality childcare and education for all children. They receive good support from the owner and management team to further develop their strong skills. Staff communicate and work well with each other. They are positive role models for children. Children behave well in the setting.
• The pre-school has good partnerships with other agencies, the local school, other early years settings and local organisations. Children are well supported to prepare them for the move to school, helping them to feel safe and secure.
• Staff provide a range of challenging physical play opportunities for children to test and extend their skills outside.
• All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding, make good progress. Staff understand what children need to learn next, undertake accurate assessments and adapt meaningful activities to help them achieve this. The curriculum is designed to ignite children's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. Staff use their daily observations to shape their teaching and plan fun and interesting activities to help all children to progress and achieve. However, on occasion, children's preferences are not acknowledged and followed, and their involvement and learning do not develop as much as it could.
• Parents are given information to encourage them to provide healthy packed lunches. Staff support this as they encourage children to eat healthier options first at lunchtimes.
• Staff provide children with enjoyable activities to support their mathematical development. For example, they read a story about a worm and encourage children to count, predict and compare as they look at dough worms of different shapes and sizes.
• Parents are involved with and engage in their children's time at the pre-school. They know what their children are learning and how staff are supporting them. Parents are extremely positive about the care their children receive.
• Staff use their thorough knowledge of what children like and can do to help plan motivating experiences for children. Children take part in a wide variety of innovative small-group opportunities to provide focused learning. However, occasionally, staff ask too many questions, and children are not always given enough time to think, consider and respond.
• Children's early language and communication development is well supported. Staff repeat words back to children, modelling the correct pronunciation. Children have numerous opportunities to enjoy songs, rhymes and stories. At story times, children become engrossed and listen very well as staff read with expression and interest.
• Staff provide children with opportunities to take part in activities outside of the pre-school, developing their understanding of the world well. For example, they visit a community garden and enjoy planting and growing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with time to respond to questions, to develop their language and thinking skills even further
• enhance small-group times to ensure children's preferences are acknowledged.