Nelmes Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enter this pre-school with ease and are warmly welcomed by staff. Children are encouraged to self-register.

They independently and confidently explore the pre-school. Children quickly engage in a wide range of activities of their choosing. For example, children play together on the indoor climbing frame, mermaid sensory tray and more, displaying their positive attitude towards learning.

Staff provide a purposeful environment and support children's learning. For example, children build on their imagination in the garden as they pretend to be chased by crocodiles. Staff embrace their imagination, while developin...g on their learning.

For example, through quality interactions, they extend children's vocabulary, and staff encourage teamwork as they build a fort to keep safe from the imaginary crocodiles. Leaders implement an ambitious curriculum and have high expectations of all children. Staff know their children well and offer rich language opportunities, meaning children's learning is well supported.

Children develop language skills through staff interactions, songs, stories and home learning book bags. Staff role model positive behaviour, which helps children to understand what is expected from them through an embedded routine. For example, all children understand that when they hear the 'Lion King' music, it symbolises for them to gather for a circle time.

As part of this time, they discuss their rules and why they are important. Staff's high expectations impact positively on the development of children's characters, and children demonstrate an understanding of how to be kind to their friends. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported through individual strategies which are shared with parents.

Staff work closely with other professionals to support individual children and families. This helps all children to make good progress.

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

Staff know their key children well.

This enables them to plan effectively to support children's learning. Children's interests and opinions are added to a 'choice book' which is then reflected in the environment. For example, children's interest in or recommendations about dinosaurs enable staff to plan activities within the environment for the following week.

This allows children to become more engaged in their play, which supports their learning.Staff and leaders are incredibly hard-working and strive to ensure the best outcomes for all children. Leaders support staff's well-being and they encourage them to access training.

Staff's passion and commitment mean they continuously want to learn and enrol themselves on relevant training. For example, they access speech and language training to develop their understanding on how to support all children with speech and language. They promote children's listening and attention skills using a bucket activity, which is shared with other staff to ensure continuity for all children.

Parents highly praise the pre-school; some children have siblings who have attended over several years. Parents talk about how their child is prepared for school, the bonds they have with the staff team and how much their child enjoys coming to the pre-school. Parents particularly speak about the special events and home learning book bags.

Children are encouraged to be physically active. They access an outdoor space, where there is a range of physical challenges alongside planned activities, along with an indoor climbing frame. Children's self-esteem is encouraged, for example by taking risks and challenging themselves to climb over the bridge.

Attentive staff are always there for support when needed.Staff ensure that children have a routine, making sure that they benefit from understanding what is happening next through the use of song. The structure of the group time incorporates registration and learning, such as about oral hygiene, the months of the year and early literacy activities, using music to support learning.

However, staff do not consistently ensure that all children, such as those who are younger, benefit from focused learning, appropriate for their own abilities, during these times.Staff support children's independence well. For example, children put on their own coats to go outside, and develop skills in pouring jugs of water themselves during individual activities.

Staff ensure a stimulating environment and rich learning opportunities. This helps all children to make good progress. Staff have topics which are influenced by the children, for example learning about growing.

Staff spend individual time with their key children, strengthening their relationship and the children's learning. Children are then encouraged to take the activities home to extend their learning. Parents are encouraged to take photos, which allows children to talk through their learning with peers, such as what happened to the seed they started to grow at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on staff's already good teaching skills to help support all children's learning, particularly during group time.