The Playpen Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly in the warm, friendly pre-school. They have developed confidence and have established strong bonds with the pre-school's caring staff. Children show that staff are important to them as they give them hugs when they pretend to be sad. Children behave well as staff use effective behaviour management strategies. This helps children to feel safe, secure and valued. All children receive good levels of support and reassurance from staff. Children develop the skills and positive attitudes to learning that they need for future success. This has a positive effect on children's emotional well-being.

Staff incorporate children's interests and learning needs into activities. For example, while children are playing with play dough, staff follow children's interest in making pizza. This opens a discussion on pizza toppings to coincide with the topic of food. Children's learning is further enhanced as they collaborate with their peers and staff on cutting up vegetables in the role play area.

Staff use their knowledge of what children know and can do to plan a selection of well-organised activities across the curriculum. For example, children recall how to stay safe in the sun. They show their understanding of number as they count to the day's date. They then talk about what date it was yesterday and what date it will be tomorrow.

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

• The manager has high expectations for the pre-school, and the curriculum covers all areas of learning. Leaders and staff understand the order in which children need to learn, and they communicate well together. The manager and staff access regular training opportunities. These help them to continually develop their knowledge of child development and of how children learn.
• Staff engage in meaningful conversations with children and listen carefully to what they have to say. For example, staff listen intently as children tell them about the solar system. This supports children in understanding that their opinions are valued.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points in learning. The manager and the special educational needs coordinator work closely with parents to make referrals, seek guidance from other professionals and put plans in place to support children.
• The manager continues to strengthen partnerships with parents. Staff communicate with parents in a range of ways. These include daily face-to-face meetings, newsletters, social media and an online platform which details children's learning. Parents comment that the pre-school team is friendly and supportive. They state that children enjoy attending and note how children have progressed since starting, particularly in their speech.
• The manager has used additional funding effectively to enhance children's learning experiences. For example, a calming sensory area has been created to support children who need extra support to manage their emotions. This helps children to feel more emotionally secure.
• Children build meaningful friendships and enjoy each other's company. They learn to take turns and share. For example, children enjoy playing board games together. This helps children to develop suitable social skills.
• Although staff focus well on developing children's independence, this is not always consistent. For example, children put on their own coats and shoes before going outside. However, when they come inside for snack time, staff remove children's coats and pour children their drinks.
• Staff encourage children to play physically and strengthen their muscles. For example, children use the pulley system to lift buckets from the bottom of the climbing frame to the top. Children climb, balance and bounce as they negotiate the climbing frame and trampoline.
• Overall, staff promote children's communication and language skills well. Staff use labelling and repetition to support children's emerging vocabulary. Children are encouraged to repeat familiar words and phrases from stories and songs. However, occasionally, staff do not model the correct pronunciation of words. For example, staff talk about 'pussy cats' and 'doggies', and say 'narna' for banana. This means that children do not hear and learn to use the correct pronunciation of words.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide consistent opportunities for all children to be independent
• strengthen staff's knowledge of the importance of using the correct pronunciation of words and the value of narrating children's play, to promote speech and language skills consistently.