Sunshine Under Fives Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit immensely from the sensitive care and expertise of highly skilled staff. They are confident learners because staff prioritise their well-being. This helps children to feel safe and form strong attachments with staff. Staff are fully aware that this is important and beneficial to the excellent progress children make. They deeply value children and their behaviour is exemplary.

Children are highly motivated to learn. They demonstrate care and concern for others and the world around them. For instance, they take great care of a snail in the garden. They say, 'We need to take it to the bug hotel carefully.' Staff meticulously plan stimulating learning experiences for children. As a result, children fully absorb themselves in learning and show extremely high levels of concentration. Children are inspired by language-rich stories which staff read to them enthusiastically. They confidently ask questions about what they see and hear. Children have excellent opportunities to use their imaginations. They pretend they are 'inventors' during creative activities.

All children flourish because staff have consistently high expectations of what they can achieve. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are in receipt of additional funding. Children make excellent progress from their starting points as staff work sensitively with parents. They also involve other professionals and implement highly effective strategies without delay. This helps to maximise outcomes for children.

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

• Managers and staff work together as an extremely strong and enthusiastic team. They are passionate about providing the highest quality support they can for children. They observe each other's practice and reflect together daily. They share ideas and strive for excellence for children. Managers are highly dedicated professionals who keenly undertake research projects to further inform and enhance their already high-quality provision. Managers monitor teaching meticulously. They provide staff with constructive feedback and training to support their professional development.
• Staff are fully aware of the potential impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's learning and development. They recognise that children's social interactions have been dramatically reduced. Staff particularly noticed a general decline in children's social and emotional development. In response to this, they implemented even more activities and strategies to support them further. This has had a hugely positive impact on children's sense of well-being.
• Staff help children to explore their uniqueness. Staff encourage children to bring items in from home that are special to them, so that staff can talk with children about their home culture. Staff seek information about festivals celebrated at home and learn children's home language. Staff take great care to incorporate these into play. For example, all children sing songs in multiple languages, including German and Spanish. This promotes inclusion and helps all children to learn languages other than their own.
• Staff provide children with enriching learning experiences. They go on regular visits to the farm and to the allotment, where they grow fruit and vegetables. Staff develop valuable links with people in the wider community to enhance children's learning even further. For instance, staff invited a local beekeeper to the pre-school to teach children about the insect. Children verbalise their new knowledge. For example, they explain that a bee is 'a type of bug'.
• Children have exceptional knowledge of how to keep themselves safe. Staff encourage children to risk assess the learning environment with them. This helps them to learn about and manage potential hazards. Children report risks back to the rest of the children. For example, they explain, 'If you climb the tree too high you might hurt yourself if you fall.' Staff also help children to learn about how to keep themselves safe online. They help them to understand the potential dangers of talking to others online by using children's picture books.
• Partnerships with parents are exceptionally strong. Parents have utmost praise for the staff. They say that they 'could not ask for more' regarding their child's care. They comment positively on the impact staff have on children's social and emotional needs. Staff go over and above in their support for children and families. For example, they stay in touch with them for as long as necessary when children leave to start school. They ensure that children become fully settled on the next stage of their learning journey.