Yapton Community Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly come in to pre-school where they are warmly greeted by staff. Staff support children as they settle quickly and become focused and engaged in their activities. For example, children become engaged in building fire engines out of construction materials. With the support of staff, children are calm and behave well. They understand the rules and boundaries of the pre-school. For example, while playing outside they know when the whistle blows that they need to line up at the fence ready to go back inside. Staff encourage children to develop their independence skills through everyday routines, such as children pouring their own milk during snack time.

Staff develop children's interests into learning opportunities for everyone. For example, following an interest in a story about a beanstalk, children have a go at planting their own beans. Children learn to problem solve and to have another go as they are skilfully supported by staff. For example, children build a ball out of magnetic tiles and take part in a game rolling it back and forth, when it breaks, children work together to try and rebuild it.

Children develop confidence in their physical skills and staff encourage them to take appropriate risks safely through games. For example, children enjoy climbing different pieces of equipment to escape 'the lava' while playing a game in the garden.

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

• Managers have high aspirations for all children. There is a strong focus on ensuring every child is thriving and that staff adapt the provision to meet the needs of the individual as required. For example, staff ensure children's favourite toys are available to help them settle into the provision.
• The provision is split into younger and older children to ensure staff can meet the needs of all children. The curriculum is well sequenced between the two rooms with a strong focus on developing children's personal, social and emotional skills. In addition, managers work closely with local schools to help ensure they are working towards similar goals and expectations.
• Staff feel it is important to introduce children to a wide range of topics and ideas to support their learning and development. For example, children learn about people who are important to them in the community, such as police and first responders. This also supports their understanding of the world.
• Staff know their key children well, the progress they have made as well as their specific next steps in learning. However, staff's understanding of the curriculum intent across the provision is not yet fully embedded and this means, at times, teaching does not consistently follow the curriculum to build on children's knowledge and learning. As a result, there are times when children do not benefit fully from the intended learning during activities.
• Parents speak highly of the staff and the provision. They comment that the staff support the whole family and are always happy to listen as well as helping to solve any problems where they can. Parents are regularly updated about children's progress in their learning and development through comprehensive handovers at the end of each day as well as an online learning app.
• Staff act as good role models. For example, they are respectful and considerate as they ask children before they begin applying sun cream. In addition, staff model good manners and encourage children to use 'please' and 'thank you' as they share toys and take turns.
• Staff have regular supervision meetings with managers. They are well supported, both in their well-being and heir professional development. Managers are developing staff's ability to reflect on their own practice and have implemented new procedures for the coaching and mentoring of staff. This supports staff's professional development well.
• Managers use additional funding appropriately. They ensure the funding is spent on meeting individual needs and closing any gaps in their learning and development. For example, they have purchased talking story boards to support children's speech and language development.
• Managers have not notified Ofsted of significant changes, such as building work at the premises as required. However, this has had no impact on children's safety or well-being. Managers have reflected and have a clearer understanding of notifications to Ofsted and therefore no further action is required.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed staff's understanding of the setting's curriculum intent, so that that they are consistently focused on what they want children to learn.