The Stacey Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff welcome children and their families as they arrive at this welcoming pre-school. They build strong bonds with children and know them well. Children find their name on the self-registration board and put away their belongings. Staff are positive role models. They remind children about the rules and boundaries of the pre-school. This helps children feel safe, secure and behave well.

Staff plan a broad curriculum that supports children's interests. They consider topics and familiar books to run alongside the activities they provide. For example, children have immense fun as they re-enact the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. They develop their imagination as they walk barefoot through the pretend river. Staff adapt activities to take account of the age and abilities of the children taking part. This supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make good progress.

Children delight in being outside and relish in exploring the natural world. They enjoy regular forest school sessions in the garden. The forest school leader is inspiring. She motivates children to join in with many exciting activities. For example, children prepare fruit and porridge to cook on the campfire, which they have helped to build. Children enjoy using spades and brushes to dig in the mud. They show excitement when they find dinosaur 'bones' and 'fossils'.

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

• The manager is knowledgeable, committed and passionate about providing high-quality care and education for children. She works closely with her team and provides regular supervision sessions for staff. For example, staff discuss any training that they may require and children's welfare. The manager prioritises staff's well-being, which staff value. This reflects positively on the teaching and education that children receive.
• The manager and staff have a good understanding of the curriculum intent. Staff know their key children well. They gather information from parents to find out about children's individual needs. Staff observe and monitor children's development to plan for next steps in learning. However, these are not as precise as they could be. For example, staff focus on too many learning intentions at one time. This means staff do not always provide specific support for children's individual learning. Despite this, children are making good progress in their learning and development.
• Staff provide many opportunities for children to learn about the world around them. For example, they take children to visit the local pond and shoreline when children show an interest in doves and ducklings. Children take pride in planting and growing their own fruit and vegetables. Once ready for harvesting, children pick, cook and eat the vegetables at mealtimes. In addition, staff teach children about festivals and events in an interesting way. For instance, staff plan activities about summer solstice. Children learn that this is the longest day of the year.
• Staff support children's communication and language well. They play alongside children, talk to them about what they are doing and ask questions. Staff give children the time to think and respond. They adapt their approach for different communication styles. For example, staff use sign language and visual prompts to support language development. Children with English as an additional language make good progress. This helps children to become confident communicators.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) supports children with SEND well. She works with staff, parents and other professionals to put targeted support in place. This helps to ensure there is a consistent approach. The SENCo uses additional funding to support and meet the needs of intended children. Children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.
• Generally, staff help children to understand and manage their emotions and feelings. For instance, they talk to children about their emotions and read relevant stories about feelings. Staff have created cosy spaces for children to help them with self-regulation. However, at times, when some children become overwhelmed, staff do not always use these opportunities to help children regulate their emotions.
• Partnerships with parents is a strength of the pre-school. Parents speak highly of the activities that staff provide for their children. For example, they value the many outdoor learning opportunities on offer. Staff keep parents up to date with their children's progress. They share ideas to help continue children's learning at home. In addition, the manager invites parents and children along to fun days out in the school holidays.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further the use of observations and assessments to plan for precise next steps in children's learning
• support staff to consistently use strategies to help support children to regulate their feelings and emotions.