Toybox (Gatacre Road) Pre-school Group Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a welcoming and friendly environment where children and families feel safe. Children mostly come into the setting happily, readily going off to find their friends. Those children who are unsettled on entry are comforted and cuddled by sensitive and caring staff. Children feel secure in their relationships with staff. They build strong emotional attachments to their key person and the confidence to cope with new experiences. Equality and inclusion are at the heart of everything that staff do with the children. They have a positive approach to diversity and support children to develop a positive sense of themselves. They help children to learn about the world beyond their own experiences.

Staff place a high priority on supporting the development of children's speech and language skills. They care for an exceptionally high number of children who speak English as an additional language. Staff support children's understanding using Makaton, pictorial prompts, songs, rhymes and stories. Children quickly pick up words in English and develop a good standard of English by the time they start school. Many of the children who attend live in flats and do not have access to a garden. Staff consider this when planning their curriculum to ensure that those children who learn best from being outdoors can do so.

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

• Staff know where children are in their learning. They plan and provide a curriculum that is interesting and sequenced to support children's progress. However, staff do not always have high enough expectations of what children can achieve to challenge their learning to the highest level.
• With adult support, children persevere in activities of their own choosing. Staff show children how to play imaginatively, such as modelling role play in the play kitchen. Children and staff have embraced 'World book day', supporting children's interest in books and stories. Children develop a positive attitude to learning and the key skills needed to be ready for school.
• Children are not given notice of when activities need to change, to give them opportunity to finish off what they are doing. In addition, staff's interactions with children are not as strong during times of transition between activities. This results in children becoming restless and quickly losing interest in what is going on.
• Children with special educational needs and disabilities are supported well. The member of staff responsible for coordinating the care and learning for these children is knowledgeable and passionate about her role, helping to ensure that they make the best possible progress.
• Staff are good role models who work hard to help children understand their emotions and feelings. They help children learn about the need to share, take turns and consider the needs of others. Staff value and praise children's efforts to share resources.
• Children are helped to develop independence skills. They readily wash their hands before eating. Children enjoy the responsibility of carrying out small tasks, such as sweeping up the rice and pasta in the role-play kitchen. They are confident to ask for help when they need it.
• Children enjoy visitors to the setting and readily share their play. Children learn to take managed risks on the play equipment outdoors. They are self-assured as they climb on the pirate ship and confidently walk and balance on the obstacle courses that they have built.
• The management team has a clear and ambitious vision for the future. They recognise their strengths and areas for development. There is a programme of regular supervision for staff that supports their well-being and practice. Staff's professional development is encouraged. Staff are enthusiastic and work well together as part of a friendly and motivated team.
• Partnerships with parents are friendly and trusting. Parents report that communication is good. Staff signpost parents to services in the community, such as food banks and the top-up shop. They also operate some services in the setting to support families.
• The manager has established positive partnerships with the host school. This helps to ensure that children are fully supported as they prepare for the next stage in their learning, such as moving into the Reception class.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's teaching skills to help ensure they have high enough expectations of what children can achieve to challenge and guide their learning to the highest level
• support staff to maintain the quality of interaction with children throughout the day, especially at times of transition
• give children timely reminders of when the routines need to change so that they have opportunity to complete activities to their satisfaction.