Thurton & Ashby St. Mary Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a warm welcome to all of the children as they arrive. Those who are new, or find it harder to settle, are given individual attention by their key person. Staff plan and provide a rich and well-resourced learning environment, with a key focus on outdoor learning. All staff know the children really well. Children's interests are consistently considered so that they are motivated to explore and experiment. The staff are well qualified and have a wealth of experience and skills. They show a real enthusiasm for their work with the children. Children benefit from the staff's strong teaching, which captures their interest and curiosity.

All staff get down at children's level, using good eye contact. Staff make full use of the natural environment to encourage a strong awareness of nature and living things. Children plant vegetables, such as spinach and garlic, which can be harvested in the colder months. They learn about weight and measurement in the mud kitchen and have a variety of opportunities to calculate and count in sequence. Children practise independence skills as they handle cutlery and pour themselves water or milk. Children know how to behave because the staff are consistent role models, supporting children to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff regularly praise children for the smallest of achievements. They help children to consider the feelings of others and solve their own disagreements by 'using their words'.

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

• Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have significantly improved the learning environment to ensure outdoor learning can take place in all weathers. Staff have undertaken a range of training, some of which has a particular focus on supporting children's speech and language and helping children to regulate their own behaviours. Staff have used the knowledge gained to provide a richer curriculum for the children attending.
• Staff place a real focus on supporting children's speech and language development. They create clear plans and have agreed strategies to support those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are slower to speak. All staff provide a language-rich environment with lots of commentary and clear articulation. They listen to the children and carefully repeat words that children mispronounce. Staff use songs, rhymes, actions and signing to embed learning. They introduce additional words, such as 'little' and 'small' to describe the similar concepts.
• Children are provided with a wealth of opportunities to explore literacy. They know how to handle books and turn the pages. Children listen with interest as staff read a variety of stories with skill, animation and humour. Staff capture children's interest and attention as they ask questions to encourage thinking.
• They pause regularly to allow children time to join in and practise speaking. Staff help children to find out about similarities and differences as they compare and contrast the different characteristics of a duck and blackbird.
• Children grow and harvest vegetables throughout the year, using some of their fresh produce when baking and cooking. They choose from a range of nutritious snacks which the pre-school provides. Staff have provided some guidance to parents on healthy lunch boxes, but this has not been wholly successful. As a result, children do not receive consistent messages about making healthy choices while at pre-school. In addition, some children become disengaged when transitioning between indoors and outdoors or when joining small-group activities. This is because these times are not as well planned as other activities.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They comment favourably on the care and education their children receive and the wealth of learning they experience. Parents receive regular updates and are invited to meet with their child's key person to discuss their child's progress and gain ideas on how best to support their ongoing development at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• engage more closely with parents, to ensure children receive consistent messages, particularly with regard to making healthy choices while in pre-school
• review and improve times when children are transitioning between outdoors and indoors and when joining small-group activities so that children remain engaged and interested at these times.