Talbot View PreSchool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed into the pre-school by nurturing staff, who are well prepared for the children to begin their learning. Staff plan an effective curriculum to help children make good progress and be ready for the move to school. Staff have high expectations for children to achieve and there are very good methods to monitor each child's progress. Staff identify any gaps in children's learning and use children's interests to narrow the gap. For example, staff identify that children are interested in birds. They provide a wide range of activities, such as making nests from dough and shredded paper, which helps children's creative skills. Children make bird feeders and identify different types of birds that you may see in the garden, developing their love of the natural world. They count how many birds they see during the session in the garden and keep a tally sheet, developing their mathematical skills.

Children behave well and are kind and considerate. For example, they offer to share and are polite and well mannered. Staff praise children at the end of each session for their achievements. For example, they thank them for helping to tidy up and for 'offering to share the blue bike'. Children beam with pride as their friends and the adults clap, building their confidence and self-esteem.

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

• Staff build positive relationships with parents and carers. Parents report that they like the home-from-home feel where children call the staff 'auntie'. They talk about how their children's confidence has grown. Parents who speak English as an additional language feel well supported and staff have really helped their children with their communication and language skills.
• The key-person system works well because staff know their key children really well. They know what the children already know and what they need to learn next. Staff work closely with the parents so they have an accurate picture of what the children can do at home to help them plan the next stage in the child's learning effectively.
• Children have good opportunities to practise their small- and large-muscle control and build their core strength. For example, staff set up a range of equipment for children in the hall, such as a child's cross-trainer, mini trampolines, an A-frame climbing frame and slide and resources to practise their balance. In addition, children use mini tongs to pick up resources and put them into different containers, developing their fine muscle control and helping to prepare them for early writing.
• There are good recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Staff receive a comprehensive induction and regular supervision sessions to make sure their knowledge is up to date. Staff work well together as a team and benefit from the manager and deputy manager supporting their health and well-being.
• Staff promote children's communication and language development well throughout the session. For example, when children were looking at different birds with a member of staff, she introduced words to increase their vocabulary, such as 'budgerigar' and 'parrot'. Staff role model language to the younger children, talking about what they are doing during their play. This supports children in learning how to communicate. In addition, staff use picture cards to help children understand what they need to do now and what is going to happen next. All staff have communication cards on their lanyards to help them with prompts for the younger children.
• Older children are independent learners and know the routines well, so they know what to expect. Younger children are learning the routines. However, at times, all the children go to the bathroom together and to wash their hands ready for snack. This takes a long time and children miss out on being engaged in meaningful learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve toilet and handwashing routines during times when all the children go together, to make sure that children are engaged in meaningful learning and not waiting for long periods.