Swineshead Pre School Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Parents and children receive a warm welcome from staff as they arrive at the pre-school. Children are eager to see their friends and happily leave their parents at the door. Staff quickly settle children at activities. They are skilled storytellers and bring stories alive as they read to children. Children remain focused and engaged as they sit and listen to stories being read. Staff ask children purposeful questions about the events in the story. Children are eager to offer ideas as to what might happen next and engage in conversations about the characters in the book. Parents comment that they are encouraged to read with children at home and make use of the setting's lending library and story bags.

Staff play alongside children and help extend their play. They introduce mathematical language, such as full and empty, heavy and light, as children use the garden tap to fill containers with water and transport the containers around the garden. Staff encourage children to problem solve, supporting them to build a boat out of boxes, cardboard tubes, fabric and plastic bottles. They support children to think about which materials are best to use as they are buoyant and will float on the water, and which materials are not waterproof and will sink. Children eagerly test the different materials and predict which will float and sink.

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

• Staff implement a curriculum that encourages children to develop the skills that they will need to gain in order to be ready for their eventual move to school. They focus on promoting children's independence and their communication and language skills. Staff encourage children to complete small tasks for themselves. Children are learning to take care of their own hygiene needs and why it is important to develop good hygiene practices. Staff encourage older children to wipe their own nose and talk to the children about the need to wash their hands before eating in order to prevent germs and infections from spreading.
• Staff have regular supervision and receive feedback on their practice. The manager is aware of individual staff's strengths and weaknesses. The well-being of staff is a priority for the manager. Staff comment that they are well supported in their role and feel valued. They enjoy working at the pre-school.
• Overall, children behave well. When minor conflict occurs, staff are quick to intervene and support children to share, take turns and play together cooperatively. Staff offer children consistent gentle reminders about the rules in place at the setting. However, not all staff support children to understand the impact of their behaviour and why certain behaviours are not acceptable. Some staff do not support children to learn to regulate their feelings and emotions.
• Staff have developed positive relationships with parents. They ensure that parents receive regular updates about their child's development and achievements through online communication as well as daily conversations at drop off and collection. Parents speak fondly about the staff that care for their children. They comment that they are well informed about their child's day and their child's developmental progress. They say that their children are happy and enjoy attending the setting. Children say that they enjoy being at the pre-school and enjoy the range of activities on offer.
• Children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals involved with the children to plan and implement targeted interventions. Funding that children receive, such as early years pupil premium, is used effectively to meet the individual needs of children. However, where children attend other early years settings, these partnerships are not yet fully established to enable staff to work consistently to meet the child's care and learning needs.
• The manager has a clear and ambitious vision for the setting, she continually reflects on how the service provided could be improved. Staff and parents are encouraged to share ideas and concerns confidentially. The manager has identified that the curriculum for understanding the world needs to be developed further. She has detailed plans in place to develop the outside play area, so that children can take part in gardening activities and learn about how plants, flowers, vegetables and fruit grow.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to implement the behaviour policy consistently, in a way that helps children understand their feelings and emotions and understand the impact that their behaviour has on others
• share information with other settings that children attend to ensure consistency in the support that children receive.