Yarburgh Community Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at this pre-school. Staff warmly greet the children as they arrive, helping them to feel secure and settled. Children's emotional well-being is a priority for the staff, who know them well. For example, when children become upset, staff recognise their feelings and use a variety of strategies to help, such as listening, soothing and talking to children. As a result, children feel listened to and valued. Children behave very well. They look after their environment and are well mannered.

Children are highly motivated in their play. They become fascinated by a range of well-planned activities. They are curious and demonstrate good listening skills when they are learning. For example, children delight in digging in the soil. They are digging to 'Australia!'. Children become transfixed when staff engage them further by using the internet to identify an array of insects that are found in Australia. They become excited and exclaim, 'Wow! That looks like the snail we found. Look!'

Staff help children to develop positive friendships. Children are very confident, friendly and helpful. They help one another to find their snacks and say, 'Would you like me to help you?'. Children invite the inspector to play. They are keen to show how they have learned to cook 'pancakes' and share the information that 'a snail without a shell is a slug'.

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

• Parents are very happy with the quality of care and education that their children receive. They speak highly of the pre-school and of the positive relationships that the staff have developed with their children. Parents say that they feel fully informed and involved in their child's early education. They state that they are particularly grateful for the transition programme that prepares their children for school. Parents comment that the dedicated manager goes 'above and beyond' to support families and, as a result, their children thrive and grow.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported in this pre-school. Staff work closely with parents and outside agencies when needed. They know the children well and concentrate on understanding their individual needs. Staff plan activities based on children's interests and capabilities. For example, staff use targeted programmes, such as a bucket time activity to help some children focus for longer periods. As a result of this, and other types of intervention, all children make sound progress from their starting points.
• Overall, staff interactions help children to develop their imagination and extend learning. Staff build on children's existing knowledge to plan stimulating activities. However, teaching can be variable, and some staff do not interact in a way that fully supports children to develop new knowledge. For example, sometimes staff focus their attention on more articulate and confident children. This means that some children do not get the interaction they need to learn from the activity. As a result, some children do not get the same learning experience as others.
• Children develop a strong understanding of a healthy lifestyle and develop excellent physical skills. They get plenty of opportunities to run around in the fresh air. Children climb on and through obstacles and get exercise when they dig in the garden. Staff teach children to reach up high and stretch their bodies and regularly talk to the children about the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables. Children enjoy visits from healthcare professionals, such as a dentist. They know that 'too much sugar is very bad for your teeth.'
• Literacy and numeracy are very well supported at this pre-school. Children enjoy a variety of books and especially enjoy the carpet time activities when they are read a story and sing rhymes and songs. Children use blocks to measure the height of a sunflower that they are growing. They learn that 'one more than seven is eight'. Children beam with a sense of achievement as staff praise them for persevering with their measuring.
• Staff mention that their own level of well-being is high and that the pre-school is a 'wonderful place to work'. They tell the inspector that the manager is supportive and caring and that their workload is manageable. Staff say that their ideas are used across the pre-school, which makes them feel valued and listened to. Overall, staff have access to learning opportunities that enhance their strong practice. However, some staff who work less frequently, do not get the same development support as permanent staff, which leads to some gaps in their knowledge. As a result, there are times when some staff fail to extend children's learning to the next level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider more closely how to adapt adult-led activities to ensure that all children get the attention they need to get the most from the learning experiences
• identify training and development needs to help strengthen knowledge in some staff to raise the quality of the provision to a higher level.