You & Me Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are highly motivated to learn. They access a wealth of fun, engaging and challenging activities. Children talk to their peers confidently and they engage together in learning. They display high levels of self-esteem, independence, and confidence in all they do. Children have secure bonds with their key person, and feel safe with them. They arrive and greet staff with warm hugs and smiles and this is mirrored by staff.

Children's behaviour is excellent. They share, take turns and are kind to each other. Caring staff support children extremely well. They listen, question, and talk warmly to children to engage them successfully. Children are highly independent in their self-care. They master skills, such as pouring their own drinks and preparing their own snack, carefully cutting up bananas. Children take an active role in looking after play spaces and helping others.

Children are highly engaged and imaginative in their play. They make up a role-play ice-cream shop, pretending to make ice cream and develop different flavours. Children call to the others out of the playhouse window, 'Come and get your ice creams'. Children talk about the weather being hot and how ice cream will help cool them down. They talk about how much the ice creams cost and say, 'That is 10 pounds please'.

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

• The pre-school curriculum is ambitious and creative. Children are curious and have the freedom to follow their own interests. Staff are passionate about encouraging all children to succeed. Children are making exceptionally good progress, with some exceeding beyond expected levels. This ensures every child has the best possible start to their education.
• Staff love working with children and this passion is evident in all that they do. They work positively as a team, led by a supportive and knowledgeable manager. She has high expectations for all staff and empowers them to continually develop their skills and knowledge. Staff work together as a team. They say that morale is high and how they are extremely motivated to provide the very best early years' experience for children. This has a positive impact on children's well-being, learning and development.
• Children are curious and experimental. They explore the well-resourced and organised pre-school with excitement. In the mud kitchen, children make meals for staff who eagerly await to see what is for dinner. Children plant their own tomatoes, herbs and flowers, which helps develop their understanding of nature and how things grow. This helps them to make links and connections in their learning.
• Children spend lots of time outside in the fresh air and enjoy the freedom to explore. There are lots of opportunities for mark making using different tools. For example, children use brushes to make lines, patterns and shapes on the floor. Children confidently share their achievements with visitors and say, 'Look I am making patterns'. Children competently climb, balance and negotiate space. They take risks and manage these effectively to develop resilience. This helps to support their growing physical skills.
• Staff expertly help children to develop their mathematical skills. Children engage creatively in the water tray, pouring water into different sized containers. They transfer water between trays and fill up buckets. Children readily count from one to 10 and beyond. They use mathematical language in their play, explaining the measuring jug is half full.
• Partnership with parents is outstanding. Staff and parents work together in the best interests of the children. Parents talk fondly of the support they receive from staff and how their views are valued. They see how their children are progressing at home and are happy with how staff communicate with them. Staff use questionnaires to gather the views of parents. They reflect on this feedback and use it to continually make changes to benefit children extremely well.
• Staff place great value on encouraging children's communication and language. Children are exceptionally confident speakers and are developing excellent communication skills. Staff check that children are listening and give them the time they need to process questions.