Abbotsbrook Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff place a high focus on offering children security and comfort at pre-school. They help children to talk about their emotions and use individualised strategies, such as comforting them with toys brought in from home or allowing them to wear their superhero backpacks to settle them when they are new to the setting. Staff model good behaviour and consistently reinforce high expectations of behaviour for children. They refer to the rules to remind children about the behaviour that is expected from them. This helps teach children to be kind and considerate of one another. Staff support children to take turns and share resources. Children remain engaged in their learning for long periods and particularly enjoy their story time activities. Staff support children to develop a love of books, reading and language by regularly revisiting familiar rhymes and stories throughout the day.

Teaching of British values is strong at this inclusive setting. Children learn about similarities and differences that promote their understanding of equality and diversity. Children engage in meaningful conversations when playing with toys that promote their understanding of the wider world. For example, they enjoy playing with toys that represent people with visible disabilities, or they read stories that reflect a variety of family structures, including their own. This helps to build children's sense of security and belonging and promotes tolerance and respect.

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

• Managers have clear expectations of children's attitudes to learning and behaviour. They have introduced a clear curriculum intent, which focuses on what children need to learn and how staff can support children to make good progress. For example, there is a focus on developing children's communication and language, with additional focus on planned activities each session to promote children's use of newly acquired words and phrases.
• Staff help children to become resilient and encourage them to keep trying until they succeed. They plan opportunities throughout the day for children to practise their independence skills. This promotes self-help, self-care and self-esteem within children. They beam with a sense of pride as they help to peel their friends' oranges at snack time and clear away after themselves.
• Children are provided with ample opportunities to be physically active and have daily access to the well-resourced garden. However, at times, the daily routine can disrupt children's play and learning. For example, the daily routine does not always allow for children to bring their learning to a natural end, nor does it permit children to extend and continue learning between the indoor and outdoor environments.
• Staff model the use of good manners for children to copy to promote positive behaviour. Children demonstrate patience and talk to each other with respect.
• For example, a child playing the role of a doctor comforts his patient by saying, 'Sorry you are feeling poorly. I will help you, if it's okay? Lie down please!' Staff notice this and praise children's kindness.
• The provider prioritises staff well-being, and morale is high. However, systems in place for providing staff with feedback on their personal effectiveness are not yet fully embedded. As such, training and support for some staff are not precisely targeted enough on the areas of their practice that require further development to build upon the already good quality of teaching across the setting.
• The special educational needs coordinator works closely alongside staff, other professionals and parents to ensure that children's learning and care needs are consistently met. For example, they facilitate regular visits from a variety of agencies, who come out to provide further support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their key person.
• Partnership with parents is a strength of the pre-school. Parents speak very highly about the service they receive and praise the work that staff do. Staff send home regular newsletters, upload photos and speak to parents daily to share their children's achievements and learning.
• There are effective systems in place for the completion of school transitions and the progress check for children aged two years. This supports them with early identification of any needs for children and their families.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to understand how to adapt routines to consistently meet children's needs
• continue to embed the new arrangements for staff coaching and supervision to help staff raise the quality of their education practice to consistently high levels across the team.