Sunshine Pre-School (Kirkhill)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the pre-school happily. They separate from their parents easily and run in eager to start their day. Staff encourage children to recognise their names on the pegs and independently hang their coats up. Children are safe in the pre-school. Staff supervise them well. They teach children about how to keep themselves safe. For example, when out in the community, children learn about road safety. Staff plan challenging activities which, overall, motivate and interest children. Children enjoy exploring colour and patterns as they paint pictures of daffodils. They look carefully at the flowers and learn new words, such as 'stem' and 'bud'. Children respond to staff's praise and show high levels of self-esteem. They proudly put their pictures in their bags to take home to show their parents.

Children persevere and try hard during activities. For instance, younger children work out how to fit the pieces into a jigsaw puzzle. Older children explore how to use pipettes to transfer water between containers. Children happily chat and share resources when they play. They recreate home experiences when they play with a dolls' house and in the role play kitchen. Children set the table and pretend to cook tea. Staff encourage children to recognise and talk about their emotions. They play games which help children to explore how they are feeling.

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

• Staff plan a curriculum which follows children's interests and generally takes account of what they need to learn next. Children are enthusiastic, have a positive attitude to their learning and develop skills that they need for their future learning. However, staff do not consistently think about the skills that the youngest children need to learn during adult-led activities.
• Children develop their early literacy skills well. They practise their fine-motor skills as they use scissors to cut, pretend to write letters, and make marks with paintbrushes and water outdoors. Staff make sure that they read stories and sing songs with children each day.
• Staff encourage children to extend their mathematical skills when they play. For example, children compare the size of their dinosaurs, count how many children are present and take part in the actions of number rhymes. Younger children confidently recognise and name shapes during activities.
• Staff support children's language development well. They provide a commentary on children's play and introduce new vocabulary. Staff ask children questions which encourage them to give a detailed response. Children become confident communicators.
• Staff support children to have an awareness of the diverse world in which they live. They provide pictures, books, resources and dolls which reflect the differences among children. Children learn about events that are important to others, such as Chinese New Year.
• Children learn to be independent. They use the toilet on their own and know the importance of washing their hands. Children very ably pour their drinks at lunchtime. Staff work with parents to make sure that children bring a healthy and balanced packed lunch each day.
• Children behave very well. Staff explain clearly how they expect them to behave. They teach children to share, take turns and listen to each other. Children are kind and caring to their friends.
• Staff provide parents with regular information about the activities their children have taken part in. They give verbal feedback at the end of each session. Parents are happy with the service that the pre-school provides. However, staff do not consistently share precise information with parents about their children's development.
• Staff make sure that children have opportunities to play outdoors in the fresh air each day. Children develop their physical skills when they visit nearby parks. They learn about the natural world, for example as they plant and look after sunflowers.
• The manager supports staff to manage their workload and maintain their well-being. She makes sure that staff keep their knowledge of statutory requirements up to date. However, she does not target professional development, or focus the monitoring and supervision of staff, to extend the quality of their practice to an even higher level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan adult-led activities more carefully to take account of the skills that younger children need to learn
• share more detailed information with parents about their children's levels of development, to provide continuity in children's learning
• extend the monitoring of staff's practice and their professional development, to raise the quality of education to a higher level.