The Peaks Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are confident and familiar with the routines of the setting. On arrival, they hang up their coat and bag and happily place any comforters away. Overall, children separate well from parents and carers. However, when children are upset, staff are kind and attentive and provide comfort and reassurance. This helps children to quickly settle and they become involved in the day's activities. As a result, children feel safe and secure within the setting. Children and families openly share information with the caring and friendly staff. For example, staff ensure that time is afforded at drop off and collection for daily communication. Significant events are celebrated, such as the arrival of a new baby in the family. Staff share the excitement, as they ask the sibling if they have a baby brother or sister. The child beams with pride, telling staff he has 'a baby brother'. Consequently, positive and close relationships are securely in place.

Children behave well. They use their manners frequently. For example, when they have finished meals and snacks, they ask, 'may I leave the table please?' They also respond politely to questions. For instance, when asked if they would like some more water, they respond 'no thank you' or 'yes please'. Some parents have commented that children are asking to leave the table at home. This helps children's social and communication skills. Children are kind and helpful to one another. For example, a child helps his friend to put his apron on ready for water play. This demonstrates children's consideration of others and mutual respect.

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

• Children are aware of the expectations of the setting, such as 'kind hands', 'walking feet' and 'listening ears'. Positive behaviour is promoted throughout the setting. For example, children receive stars for tidying up. They eagerly show a member of staff and are congratulated on gaining a star. Equally, children's efforts are acknowledged. This helps children to build self-esteem and resilience.
• Opportunities for children to develop their physical skills are plentiful. For instance, they use their core muscles to balance on a wooden plank held between two tyres. Additionally, they confidently climb to the top of the outdoor steps and take great pleasure in jumping off. Similarly, children use their small muscles to carefully cut, to make a crown for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee. They use hand-to-eye coordination as they measure cardboard cylinders. Children pretend to do some 'walling' with the construction resources. This supports children's all-round physical development.
• Systems are in place to support the health of children and staff. Staff wash hands and wipe tables before mealtimes. Children independently wash hands before eating and after using the toilet. However, good hygiene practices are not always in place for hand drying. This means that, on occasion, there is a risk of cross infection.
• Children learn about people within their local area. During harvest time, they send vegetables to the older people within the community. At Easter, children make cards and post these through the letterboxes of people who live alone. This helps children to respect and value people of all ages. Staff recognise that some children do not have grandparents. As a result, children learn about the roles that others play within families and society.
• The setting implements good routines to promote independence during morning snack. For example, children use safety knives to cut bananas, and drink monitors hand cups out to each child. However, this is not in place during other mealtimes, despite ample time being available to support this. As a result, children do not have opportunity to consistently practise the skills for independence throughout the day.
• Staff work closely with parents to discover each child's level of development. This is used alongside their own assessments to identify what they want children to learn next. Consequently, children have access to a suitably challenging curriculum across all areas of learning and development.
• The manager supports staff in their professional development. For instance, some staff undertake training to support children's communication and language development. As a result, staff feel more confident in identifying areas where children may need additional help. This informs the planning of appropriate activities and strategies, so children achieve the best possible outcomes.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase the opportunities for children to practise independence skills consistently throughout the day
• improve the availability of appropriate hand-drying facilities to further promote hygiene practices.