The Alphabet Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff ensure that children feel happy and safe in this nurturing environment. Children receive photographs of staff before starting at nursery and individual letters to help them feel comforted and reassured. This personalised approach helps children to settle quickly and feel immediately secure. Staff know children and their families well. Activities are planned around children's interests and learning and development targets. Staff regularly revisit the planned environment to ensure children have a range of exciting activities to engage in.

Children learn the importance of health and self-care. They enjoy chopping a range of different fruits, which they share in their 'snack café'. They help themselves to yoghurts, crackers and cereals and pour their own milk from a small jug. They use mirrors to help clean their faces after eating. They select tissues from the 'hygiene station' when needed. This supports them in developing their independence skills.

Children behave well. They wash up their spoons and bowls after mealtimes. Children respond to the 'tidy-up song' by parking the bikes and collecting up the hoops and balls that they have enjoyed playing with. Staff model the language of 'please' and 'thank you' and praise children when they show kindness and 'good sharing' with their friends.

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

• Children understand the importance of a healthy, balanced diet. Staff talk to them during mealtimes about healthy choices, and children enjoy trying new fruits and vegetables during special 'tasting weeks'. Children understand where their food comes from and enjoy planting herbs and flowers in the nursery garden.
• There are lots of opportunities for children to develop their large-muscle skills. Staff enjoy playing team games with children and teaching them the skills of throwing and catching small balls. Children ride bikes around a track, navigating traffic lights and stop signs. The construction area allows for opportunities to build, using large bricks and a range of tools. This supports children's physical development.
• Children enjoy role playing in the 'ice cream parlour'. Staff support their language well by asking questions to extend their vocabulary. Children develop their understanding of everyday mathematics as they role play using the tills to take money and give change.
• Staff carefully plan interesting and exciting activities for children to enjoy. Generally, they engage with them well as they play. However, staff need further support when planning some of these activities, to ensure they are clear about all the possible learning intentions. This should ensure that they fully challenge children's thinking and support children to maintain concentration on activities for longer.
• Staff have a calm, positive approach to modelling their expectations for children's behaviour, and children respond well to this and show respect for each other. Staff provide children with a range of strategies to support them when they encounter challenges, such as the 'resolution box'. This enables staff to offer children alternatives, such as playing together, swapping toys or asking a teacher for help. Staff role model how to use a sand timer to support children to take turns. This ensures that children develop a solution-focused attitude, which supports them to behave well.
• Parents are extremely happy with the nursery. They describe the level of nurture as an extension of their 'family'. Parents speak of the noticeable progress their children have made since starting at the nursery. They receive regular updates on their children's progress and next steps in learning. Staff offer parents a range of ideas on how they can help their children at home. In particular, they have offered support with managing behaviour, positive eating habits and children's language development.
• The experienced managers support staff well. They are reflective practitioners who strive for continuous improvement in providing the best possible outcomes for the children. Staff work with a range of external agencies to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff engage in regular training opportunities, and professional development is regularly discussed and shared with other settings.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff further with planning activities to ensure there are clear and challenging learning intentions so that children stay focused and engaged for longer.