The Donkey Field Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted warmly at this setting. Staff meet them at the gate with a smile. They are kind and caring in their interactions. Children eagerly explore the attractive and exciting environment that staff set up for them. For example, they enjoy setting up a Santa's sleigh outside, working together to build it with crates and wooden planks. Children's needs and interests are used by staff to plan interesting activities and experiences. For example, children enjoyed exploring the different ways they could pour and tip water on the 'water wall'. Children delighted in joining in with singing 'Incy wincy spider climbed up the Christmas tree', developing their listening and language skills. Staff successfully prioritise opportunities for children to develop their communication skills.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported and make good progress. Staff support and encourage children to learn new skills. For example, children enjoyed exploring different art and craft materials to make their own creations, developing their fine motor skills. Staff have high expectations of children. They encourage children to recall previous learning and skilfully use this to extend children's understanding. For example, children talked excitedly about the 'stickman' story they had heard recently, and staff encouraged children to use sticks to make 'his family', to retell the story together.

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

• Staff support children's emotional well-being. They offer children cuddles and comfort to reassure them. This develops children's self-esteem. Staff praise children's achievements, supporting their confidence. For example, children proudly share their art and craft creations with staff, which they celebrate with them and display.
• Leaders and managers are passionate about the care and learning that they provide for children. They have invested in a range of resources to support children's learning and development. For example, they have secured funding to add a sensory space to support children with SEND and to provide a quiet space for parents.
• Parents speak very highly of the setting. They report that the book and toy lending library help them to support their children's learning at home. They say that their children 'love it here' and that they can ask the staff for help at any time. They say that their children particularly benefit from the good relationship that the setting has with the school and that this supports their children with settling in.
• Leaders and managers are proactive in seeking out further training to support practice. They successfully utilise a range of free training to enhance staff's knowledge and skills. For example, all staff have recently completed autism training, to support children with SEND.
• Children are encouraged to be independent and to make choices about what they want to do. They know the routines of the setting well. For example, they tidy up when it is snack time, helping staff to put things away. However, at times, opportunities to further support children's independence skills are not fully maximised. This means that they do not always do things for themselves that they are capable of.
• Children benefit from a range of stories and rhymes, which are plentiful. Staff have created a language-rich environment to support children's communication skills. Staff successfully use a range of langauge resources to enhance children's language skills further. Staff are good role models to children, showing interest in what they say and having genuine conversations with children.
• Staff plan a curriculum based on what they know about their children and their next steps. They successfully utilise the neighbouring school's library and hall to support children's skills. However, at times, opportunities to further challenge children's thinking and learning are not as focused as they could be. This results in children during transition times not being as engaged as they could be.
• Staff work well together and are very supportive of each other. They say they enjoy working at the setting. They talk positively about the regular opportunities they have to talk about the children. Newer staff report that they 'feel part of the team' and are well supported in their roles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to make better use of opportunities that arise to support children's independence
• explore further opportunities for extending and challenging children's learning during transition times.