Trentham Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy coming to the pre-school. There is a wide range of activities and resources set out in line with their interests to ignite their curiosity for exploring and learning. Children separate with ease from parents at the door. For those children who find it more difficult, their key-worker comes to collect them or the parent comes in. Lots of cuddles and reassurance is given by staff who are caring and nurturing. Children are taken to their favourite toys to help them settle. This helps children feel safe and secure. Children enjoy scooping and pouring sand and making sandcastles. They weigh bear-shaped pasta on the scales, and investigate how much they need to make it lighter or heavier. Children practise their small-muscle skills as they roll and squash play dough. At a table with letters, some children confidently name them while others practise writing and copying them with pencils.

Children love books. They bring books to staff and the inspector to read to them. Other children enjoy singing and indicate they want to sing their favourite song, 'row your boat'. Outdoors, children have access to a large secure play area. They enjoy throwing balls into basketball nets. Children use their large-muscle skills as they enjoy pedalling bicycles or using their feet to push themselves inside toy cars.

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

• The provider delivers a varied curriculum which centres around what skills children need to be successful learners. Children are gaining the skills ready for their next stage of learning and eventual move to school. They learn to be independent. Children fetch their own coats and shoes and dress themselves. At snack time children choose whether they would like water or milk, and pour drinks for themselves. Children sit at circle time, listen attentively to discussions and are able to follow instructions.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff's knowledge of children is excellent. They use children's interests to plan intensive interactions and activities to help support them to access the curriculum. For example, children who find it hard manage change and go outdoors have sensory bags attached to doors. When playing and engaged in these bags, staff open the doors which allows children to step outdoors while still playing. Good partnerships with other agencies ensure each child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs. This ensures children make the best possible progress they can.
• A strong focus is placed on communication and language. Staff use a local authority initiative to screen all children to assess their progress with speaking. Appropriate referrals to external services are made when required, to help support those children who may be behind in their language development. Staff ask lots of questions which require children to become critical thinkers and respond in more words. Children are exposed to a rich vocabulary. When playing with coloured rice, staff hold it and let it trickle down onto the tray. They talk about the 'pitter patter' of the sound it makes. Children are asked to describe the sound themselves and what it feels like.
• Children engage well in their play and demonstrate high levels of concentration at their chosen activity. On the whole children behave well. However, at times, some children display great dissatisfaction when others touch or take something from the activity. Children struggle at times to manage their emotions and have the occasional outburst of being upset and angry. Staff intervene appropriately and remind children about sharing and not just taking. However, this is not always effective.
• Children learn the importance of good hygiene practices. They wash their hands after playing outdoors and before snack and lunch. The pre-school offers free toothbrushes and toothpaste, as they understand oral health is important to a children's overall well-being and care.
• Parents comment they are extremely happy with the pre-school, and that the staff are very friendly and experienced. They value the support they receive, in particular parents evenings, where they receive a full update on the progress their children are making. However, the provider could do more to support parents. There is a lending library and activity packs on offer, but as parents do not come into the setting on a daily basis, this is not accessed.
• Staff report high levels of staff morale. They say they work well together and appreciate the access to training they are offered to help them continually update their professional development. The manager completes regular supervisions and successfully evaluates the provision with her staff. This ensures that the quality of teaching is consistently good.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the already good partnership with parents to support them in their child's learning home at, including fostering a love of reading so children make even more progress
• support staff to consider new strategies to help children manage their feelings and emotions, so they learn to recognise the impact their behaviour has on others.