Bebright Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they thoroughly enjoy spending time in this nurturing and welcoming environment. They eagerly separate from parents and rush to be with their friends and staff. Children are greeted with beaming smiles and a cheery welcome from all staff. Children show genuine care for their friends. They hold their friend's hand to show them around and give each other cuddles. This contributes to children feeling happy, safe and secure. Children behave well and are supported to use good manners. For example, they are reminded to say 'thank you' to others when they give them toys.

The environment children play in is attractively arranged. They access a superb range of activities and resources, which they explore with curiosity. For example, children sit at an antique dressing table, and pretend to brush their friend's hair. Children show their imaginative skills when they pick up wooden planks and tell visitors they have a 'guitar'. Staff have high expectations of children's learning. When children talk to staff about their previous experience of planting runner beans seeds, staff take them to the garden to look at the ones that are growing. They help children to understand that the flowers on the plant turn into beans. As a result, children deepen their understanding of how vegetables grow.

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

• The well-qualified managers show a genuine enthusiasm and passion for their work with children. They evaluate the quality of the pre-school and recently identified that due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, children had fewer opportunities with their parents to access local play parks. As a result, they purchased more climbing equipment to broaden children's physical skills. Children develop their core strength and balance when they climb on apparatus.
• The managers and staff develop good partnerships with parents. They offer parents suggestions about how they can continue to support their children's learning at home. For example, they have developed a 'Rainbows End' hut in the car park where parents can gather ideas for activities, such as how to make dough and bubble mixture with their children. Children borrow books to take home for parents to read to them. This encourages children to develop a love of stories.
• Staff are aware of those children who speak English as an additional language. They know that these children do not always hear the English language spoken at home. Staff broaden children's experiences of hearing and using the English language in the pre-school. Children begin to speak confidently in English and in long sentences.
• The managers and staff support children to be emotionally ready for their move on to school. They invite teachers to meet children in the pre-school and take children to see the school building. Children have opportunities to interact and get to know their new teacher and to become familiar with the school they will attend.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their thinking skills. They ask them a good range of questions and allow children time to respond. This gives children time to think and process information before answering.
• The managers and staff team provide good quality care and learning experiences for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with parents to support children's individual needs.
• Staff use the curriculum to plan different opportunities for children, such as to develop their literacy skills. They ask children to repeat familiar phrases from favourite stories. Children draw pictures of a wolf and tell staff that they will make a house from 'bricks'.
• Staff promote positive behaviour. They encourage children to take turns, for example when they want to swing on a seat in the nature garden. Staff suggest that children use a sand timer to help them understand the concept of time and when it is their turn. However, occasionally, when children do not follow the rules when they use equipment, staff do not explain to them the reasons why the rules are in place.
• Staff do not always plan group activities well enough to ensure that the younger children receive the support they need.
• Staff encourage children to be independent. An example of this is when they provide opportunities for children to select their own cup and plate and serve themselves during snack times.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to consistently support children to understand why rules and boundaries exist and how they can keep themselves safe
• support staff to consider the abilities of children participating in group activities and to increase the support for younger children.