The First Stop Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive eagerly at the pre-school and wave goodbye to their parents at the gate. They confidently hang up their belongings and show pride when finding their name card to put on the registration board. Children enjoy using the name cards to vote for their preferred activity, and the attentive staff help them to begin to understand democracy. Children enjoy the responsibility of counting their friends' votes, and the skilled staff challenge them to identify which activity has 'more' or 'less' votes.

Leaders and staff prioritise partnership working with families and other professionals. The pre-school offers an effective settling-in process alongside parents, which is used to gather information on their children's needs and experiences. This helps to ensure that all children feel happy, safe and secure when joining the pre-school and that staff know the children well.

Staff read to children in a way that excites them. Children thoroughly enjoy developing their early reading skills by having opportunities to retell the stories. They recall familiar parts of stories by using story stones and by using props during group times. Staff use Makaton to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively, to enhance their communication and provide them with the ability to express their own needs.

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

• Children are highly motivated and eager to join in activities. They enjoy playing cooperatively with each other in the water tray, sharing resources and taking turns with the pipettes. They confidently use the pipettes with different-coloured water and show satisfaction when they mix two colours together to create 'purple'.
• Leaders and staff know their children well and use what they know about their development to support their learning. They confidently identify children who receive additional funding and how this is used to support them to make good progress. Transitions are managed well and children are supported through established key-person relationships. For example, staff take children on walks around the attached school, to allow them to become familiar with their next stage of education.
• Children's physical development is incredibly well supported inside and outside. Children enjoy using their fine motor skills to squeeze pipettes in the water tray. They use rolling pins to roll play dough, promoting their pre-writing skills. Children confidently ride on bikes and scooters outside, laughing with friends as they race up and down the garden. They are supported to take risks and show enjoyment when balancing on the beams. Supportive staff praise children for their efforts and balancing skills.
• Children generally behave well. They show high levels of respect for each other and are becoming increasingly independent in managing their own conflicts. Staff remind children of the behaviour rules in place. However, they do not consistently address challenging behaviour to support children to understand the impact of their actions on others.
• Children are increasingly independent in self-care and confidently use the 'nose wiping station' to clean their own faces during the day. At mealtimes, they skilfully pour their drinks using small jugs and make their own choices about the different food they would like to try. However, staff do not make full use of opportunities at snack time to talk to children about the impact that these healthy choices can have on their health and well-being.
• Staff report they feel well supported by managers. They are provided with regular training opportunities and are passionate about implementing this training in their practice. For example, following staff training on supporting early mathematics, children explore different numbers with staff and use their hands to count skilfully. Later in the day, they delight in sharing number books with friends and confidently identify the numbers they practised earlier.
• Parents report they are very happy with the care the pre-school provides. They highlight the effective communication they receive and they value staff's kindness and support. Parents report they feel supported with topics such as toilet training, and they enjoy coming in to be parent helpers during sessions. Parents recognise the significant improvement in children's communication and confidence since starting at the pre-school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to apply high expectations of children's behaviour consistently, to provide children with an understanding of how their behaviour can have an impact on others
• develop children's understanding of the benefits that a healthy diet and a range of choices can have on their own health and well-being.