Swallows Nest Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager to arrive and sometimes forget to say goodbye or give parents a cuddle before they leave them. Children are keen to talk to staff, enjoying the back-and-forth conversations with them about their interests. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well with their language development. For example, staff learn keywords in their home language to communicate with children and help them to speak English. Children are supported to build on their knowledge, based on their interests. For example, when they show an interest in the Red Arrows aeroplanes, staff show them pictures in books and help them to understand the different parts on the aeroplanes. Children learn that the badge on the wing of the aeroplane means it is part of the Royal Air Force.

Staff help children to learn how to behave positively. For example, when children join their peers to play with spaghetti, staff ask them to share. Children kindly grab handfuls of spaghetti to pass to their peers. Children are provided with opportunities to learn how they can keep themselves safe. For example, staff practise fire drills with children, alerting them to a pretend fire with the sound of a whistle. Children say that when they hear the whistle they need to go outside. This shows their understanding of the procedure to follow in the event of a fire.

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

• Staff provide opportunities for children to be independent, helping them to learn skills for the future. For example, when children arrive, they are asked to put their snack in a tray, place their lunch box on a trolley and to hang up their coats. At snack time, children pour their own drinks.
• The manager and staff focus the curriculum on following children's interests and supporting their communication and language skills. If children have delayed speech, staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals to introduce new words for children to learn. This helps to close gaps in their speaking skills.
• The manager and staff promote children's emotional well-being well. For example, before children attend the pre-school, the manager and staff visit children in their homes. This helps them to build relationships and trust with children and their families. The manager invites teachers into the pre-school to see children before they attend the school. This helps children to become familiar with the person who will be caring for them.
• Information about children's learning and personal characteristics is shared with teachers to help promote consistency in their learning when they start school. However, this partnership working is not as effective with all other early years settings children also attend. Staff do not gather or share information about children's learning with all other nurseries they also attend. This means staff do not promote consistency in some children's learning.
• Staff say that they feel supported with their well-being. They attend supervision meetings with the manager to help reflect on their practice. Staff extend their professional development. For example, they complete training courses to help them implement a curriculum that includes following children's interests to promote their development.
• The manager spends the additional funding that some children receive to support their individual needs. For example, she purchases toothbrushes and toothpaste to encourage children's oral hygiene at home. Staff provide children with opportunities to try different fruits to encourage them to extend their diet to promote healthy eating.
• Staff have rules and boundaries in place to help children to understand what is expected of them. For example, they give children gentle reminders to walk indoors and give children a thumbs up when they show this.
• Staff plan group activities for children to take part in, such as to sing and copy when staff do actions to songs. However, sometimes staff do not recognise the quieter children who do not engage during these times. They do not always support them to get the most from the learning experiences offered.
• Parents comment positively about their children's experiences. They appreciate the home visits they receive before their children start attending. They like the booklets they receive, showing the pre-school environment, that they share with their children. Parents explain how this helps their children to settle quickly.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop partnerships with all other early years settings children also attend to help promote consistency in their development
• help staff to identify when quieter children need support to join in planned activities so they get the most from the learning being offered.