Wembdon Sunshiners Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families receive a very warm and friendly welcome as they arrive at the setting. Staff take the time to greet each child individually. This helps children feel safe and secure. Children demonstrate this sense of security as they rush in with big smiles on their faces. They quickly settle at one of the motivating and exciting activities staff have carefully prepared. For instance, children confidently climb over the climbing frame and enjoy riding on trikes and scooters. They negotiate the space well and thoughtfully adapt their speeds when their friends ride on the back of their trikes. These opportunities build children's physical skills and supports their personal, social, and emotional development.

Children have many opportunities to express themselves and make choices and decisions about their care and learning. For example, children vote on how to spend money raised from a recent fund-raising event. Children learn about what makes them and their families special and the importance of valuing and celebrating each other's similarities and differences. Staff invite families in to take part in activities linked to other cultures and to help children explore different festivals. This gives all children a sense of belonging.

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

• The leadership team has designed a curriculum that is sequenced well and gives children a broad range of experiences. There is a strong focus on ensuring children feel emotionally secure. Staff understand the importance of building strong attachments with children. They know their key children well. Staff use the information they gain from parents when children start, to plan and deliver learning opportunities that match each child's needs and interests. For instance, staff include toy cars in their adult led activities to motivate children who love playing with vehicles. This thoughtful approach helps children engage and focus on the intended learning.
• Staff effectively assess and monitor children's progress. They use their secure knowledge of child development to ensure children are making progress across all areas of the curriculum. Staff are skilled at quickly identifying gaps in children's learning. They work with parents and professionals to develop appropriate next steps and put different strategies in place to help children move forward. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is good. Staff attend transition meetings with school staff and parents to share important information about children. This helps children with SEND move into school smoothly.
• Parents speak extremely highly about the care and education their children receive and appreciate the advice staff provide on healthy lunch boxes and toilet training for example. Staff regularly share information about children's leaning with parents and signpost parents to local events and useful information. For example, staff tell parents about local Health Visitor groups and share tips for helping children use the internet safely.
• Since the last inspection, the leadership team has worked hard to reduce noise levels during large group sessions. These sessions are now much quieter, and children show they can listen and focus on what staff are trying to teach them. However, sometimes when children are playing independently, the noise levels indoors become too high, and children find it difficult to listen to staff and to each other. This means that some children can become disengaged in their play and their learning is interrupted.
• Children are developing their independence skills from an early age. Staff encourage children to wipe their faces using a mirror after lunch, and remind them to access water during the day, using a timer. Staff teach children the importance of wearing sun cream and hats in the summer. Children independently choose a hat from the hat basket before they go outside. They say to each other 'no hat, no play.'
• Interactions with children are caring, positive, and supportive. Staff enthusiastically join children's play and encourage children to involve themselves in the broad range of learning opportunities on offer. For example, staff explain, model, and support children to thread different materials through pasta shapes. These positive interactions build on children's knowledge and skills. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to engage with children. This means at times children's learning is not always fully extended.
• The leadership team is passionate and committed to helping all children reach their full potential. Supervision and staff training is prioritised alongside staff's well-being. Staff training is managed well to make sure it has a positive impact on children's learning. For example, recent communication and language training has helped staff deliver quality teaching to support children to become confident communicators.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently make the most of opportunities to engage with children to fully extend children's learning
• implement strategies to manage noise levels to help children remain fully focused on their learning during their independent play.