Abc Pre-School Beddington

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive to the pre-school happy and separate from their parents and carers with ease. They are warmly greeted at the door by the welcoming staff members. Children of all ages demonstrate their independence as they locate their names at the entrance and self-register on the board. Staff create a stimulating curriculum that motivates children to learn and have fun. They quickly settle into activities that are attractively set up for them on their arrival. Children's mathematical development is promoted and extended well by staff. For example, children access 'compare bears' to count, identify colour, sort and to sequence into pattens.

Children have plenty of opportunities to play outside. They move around freely and explore a wide range of resources that promote their large and small physical movements. For instance, some children confidently zoom around coloured cones on balance bikes and scooters, while others create marks with chalks on the floor and on easels. Children's behaviour is good. Staff are good role models and set clear boundaries. As a result, older children are confident and competent to devise rules for the pre-school. Staff have high expectations for all children. Children receive ample reassurance and support, through verbal praise and stickers. This has a positive affect on children's confidence, and self-esteem.

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

• Members of staff strategically place themselves at activities to enhance and extend children's language. They engage children in meaningful discussions during adult-led group activities. Staff ask lots of open-ended questions to encourage children's recall of past events and activities. This helps to reinforce learning and promotes children's speech and thinking.
• Children's understanding of the world is developing well. The current theme of 'things that grow' supports this well. Children have tremendous fun in the tough tray with soil, potatoes, and carrots. They use spades to cover the vegetables with soil and talk to the staff about their favourite fruits and vegetables. Older children confidently inform the staff member at the activity that potatoes need sun and water to grow when asked.
• Children have limited access to resources that increase their knowledge of diversity and help children to develop a positive sense of self, and others who are different to themselves.
• Staff support children to keep healthy and to develop an understanding of a healthy lifestyle. They provide children with healthy snacks. Through an 'all about me' topic, children learned the importance of oral hygiene and teeth brushing.
• The manager ensures effective strategies are in place for key persons to maintain consistent communication with parents. For instance, parents can engage in daily discussions, access the pre-school's social media page and attend parent evenings throughout the year. This allows both parties to share ideas, assessments, observations, and next steps to promote consistency in children's learning. Parents talk very highly of the pre-school and are amazed at the confidence, independence, and language their children have gained.
• Children have access to good range of activities that are set up ready for them. However, the storage of other resources, which children could add to their play, limits children's ability to dictate and extend their own learning and ideas.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) effectively works in partnership with parents, other agencies and staff. She, along with key persons, observe and devise individual educational plans to help staff close any gaps in children's development. She makes sure that any developmental concerns are responded to quickly. The SENCO regularly liaises with the local schools to help children transition and settle into their new setting. Children with delays and special educational needs and/or disabilities thrive within the pre-school and are making good progress.
• Self-evaluation is effective. The manager and staff team have reviewed and improved the book corner to make it more inviting and appealing. Children access the area independently with friends and dolls to look through books and to enjoy story times.
• The manager is committed to staff's continuous improvement. For example, staff have regular supervision and appraisal meetings. They have access to online training and have completed training such as 'creating inclusive environments', 'understanding and addressing behaviour' and 'supporting early language'. This helps to support staff to achieve good standards in the quality of children's learning and care.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on children's access to resources that reflect diversity
• review the storage of resources to provide more opportunities for children to dictate and extend their own play and ideas.