West Melton Early Years

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy to attend the pre-school. Staff greet children warmly, helping children to settle into their routines. These warm and nurturing interactions from staff help children to feel safe and secure and support their emotional well-being. Children behave well. Staff teach children lovely manners and kindness. For instance, children take turns in choosing their favourite book to read. When they have had a turn on the bikes, children happily pass them onto the next child waiting. Staff praise children's kindness to help develop their good social skills. Children thrive in the care of the dedicated staff team who know them well.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, communication and language development has been a high priority. Experienced staff promote children's language using repetition and recall of words. Children increase their vocabulary by reading a new book each month. They are currently reading 'The Tiger who came to Tea'. Children confidently recall the story as they play in the home corner and re-enact the story with the small world animals. Staff encourage children's imagination as they ask them to consider different endings to the story. Children make substantial progress in their communication and language skills.

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

• Staff implement a curriculum that ensures children are ready for school. For example, children learn independence skills as they put on their coats and shoes. They butter their own snacks and pour their own drinks. Children are encouraged to be confident and keep trying as they put on their aprons before painting at the easel. Children learn to be independent and to keep having a go.
• Staff are inclusive to all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff build on existing capabilities and take steps to help the children to develop further. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that meaningful targets are agreed and can be accomplished. This includes for example, supporting children to sit at the lunch table or mix with their peers. Staff recognise little wins for the children and celebrate their achievements.
• Staff observe and assess children's development effectively. They use children's next steps in development and interests to plan activities that engage children and build on what they already know and can do. The manager has a clear overview of each child's progress from their initial starting points. However, ideas about how parents can support children's next steps at home are not shared with them. This means that opportunities for children to continue and extend their learning even further at home, are overlooked.
• Staff thoughtfully use additional funding allocated to children to close any gaps they may have in their learning and development. This is regularly evaluated to ensure children, including those with SEND, make good progress in their learning and development.
• Staff form positive relationships with parents. They have daily conversations about their child's routine and listen to comments by parents that may affect the child's day within pre-school. Staff support parents with children's home routines such as potty training. Staff have worked with parents to ensure children bring a healthy and nutritiously balanced packed lunch.
• Staff work exceptionally well together. They have daily meetings to make sure all staff are familiar with children's needs and their welfare. Staff attend regular training to ensure their skills and knowledge are up to date. They carry out independent research to enable them to provide a curriculum that meets the needs of the children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that children's next steps are shared with parents in order to improve the continuity of children's learning at home.