Trinity Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter this welcoming pre-school with enthusiasm and a sense of purpose. They wave goodbye to their parents and hang up their coats before confidently exploring their environment. The friendly and welcoming staff build strong relationships with children and know their individual needs and characters well. This helps children to settle quickly and feel safe and secure in their surroundings.

The skilled and knowledgeable managers and staff provide a safe environment that is stimulating for children. They know children very well, and this enables them to plan an exciting and ambitious curriculum to support their learning. Children are independent and have confidence to choose what they would like to play with from the wide range of resources available to them. For example, children use magnifying glasses to search for insects in the outdoor area. Staff help the children to look under logs and stones. Children shriek with delight as they find worms and centipedes. All children make good progress in their learning.

Children behave well and are developing a good understanding of what is expected of them. Staff are positive role models and teach children to use good manners and to be kind to one another. They place a great emphasis on reward and praise when children behave positively. This helps to build children's self-esteem and confidence.

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

• The management team have worked hard since their last inspection to make the necessary improvements in the pre-school. For example, staff now receive regular support to be more precise about children's individual learning needs and next steps. The managers recognise what they have done well and what they would like to continue to develop. They work in partnership with the local authority and other settings to continue to improve practice.
• The managers create an inclusive and diverse environment where children from all backgrounds are valued and included. For example, children's individual home lives and cultures are integrated into the pre-school through play. Staff and children speak many different languages and celebrate a range of cultural and religious festivals which represent children's heritage. This means that children learn to respect the diversity of individuals, families and communities in which they live.
• Staff plan a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. For instance, children paint pictures of cows and happily share their artwork with staff and visitors. Younger children make marks in the sand with chop sticks and paint brushes to develop their fine motor skills. However, on occasion, during adult-led activities staff do not consistently manage distractions to ensure children remain focused on their learning. For example, staff do not minimise background noise during group time. This means that some children struggle to fully engage in the intended learning.
• The curriculum at the pre-school prioritises children's communication and language development. The management team have introduced a range of strategies since their last inspection to help improve children's vocabulary. For example, children learn new words, such as 'binoculars' and 'cauliflower'. Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported to communicate by staff who speak the same language. When a language is not spoken by staff, they learn key words from parents to communicate with the child. This helps children to quickly make progress in their language skills.
• Staff enjoy working at the pre-school and say they feel valued and supported. The management team carries out regular staff observations to highlight their strengths and areas for development. Staff discuss their own well-being and any concerns they have about children during supervision sessions. Staff complete mandatory training, such as paediatric first aid and safeguarding. However, the managers understand the need to support staff's professional development further to raise the quality of education to a higher level.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. The designated coordinator works closely with parents and professionals to ensure children receive the extra help they need. Additional funding is used effectively to support children's individual needs. For example, staff provide one-to-one support for children who need it the most.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• manage distractions during adult-led activities to support children to stay engaged and focused on their learning
• consider ways to enhance staff's professional development to focus on raising the quality of education to an even higher level.