Beehive Pre-School Playgroup

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders understand the various barriers to learning and wellbeing that children face and are quick to seek support and guidance where they have concerns about children's development. They work well in partnership with families and professionals to ensure timely interventions help children and families get the support they need. Regular feedback is given to parents about their children's progress and how funding is being used to best effect. However, staff do not always take into account that children with limited language may not have the skills to be able to tell their parents about their daily activities and experiences in specific detail.

The curriculum is equally ambitious for all children, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders take into account children's patterns of attendance when planning different experiences for children. Leaders also consider how best to support children who are in receipt of funding and the ways in which they can use this to enhance their learning. They purchase specific resources or equipment, tailored to have a positive impact on children's achievement and wellbeing. An example of this, is the purpose-built sensory room which provides a calm space for children, helping them to regulate their emotions and reduce sensory overload. This is used to good effect with the children and works well in practice.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders provide a broad curriculum that fosters children's learning and development across all areas of learning. Staff use assessment to check that children are making expected progress in their learning and to identify any gaps. Interactions are supportive and engaging and geared to encourage steady progress towards their next steps in learning. Staff know the children well and understand their capabilities. They encourage children to have a go at tasks themselves first, before offering them support. This encourages children to persevere and become increasingly more resilient.

Staff introduce children to new words and their meaning, particularly during group story times. These include words such as 'spontaneous' and 'hollow'. Children look at the pictures and recall parts of the story to try and understand their meaning. Children suggest that 'hollow' is a bit like something being 'empty'. This helps to build on children's increasing vocabulary. Children speak confidently in groups and enjoy sharing their thoughts and experiences. In larger group situations, children find it more difficult to take turns when speaking and to listen to others, resulting in some of the quieter children's voices getting lost.

Children learn about number during daily routines and the daily activities. They sing number rhymes and count how many bricks they have used to build a tower and count how many they have left to use.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children develop the skills they need across all areas of learning and show they are suitably prepared for their transitions to school. Children arrive at the start of the day, eager and ready to learn. Keen to share their news and thoughts, they confidently engage in conversations with their peers and staff alike. However, they do not always take time to listen to others when they are speaking. This is particularly evident during group time activities. Children develop an early love of books and sit engrossed for long periods enjoying books on their own and with staff. They enjoy retelling stories and sharing their experiences that reflect those of the characters in the book.

Children enjoy sensory activities and are curious as to how they can achieve different results using a range of techniques. They skilfully use tools for a range of purposes. They use rolling pins to flatten dough and tools to make patterns. Inquisitively, they brush their fingers across the patterns, describing how they feel to touch, before sniffing the dough to explore it further.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders work closely with families and explain the importance of children's regular attendance at the setting and how it promotes their learning and development. Children enjoy their learning and display positive attitudes. They are motivated and curious about how things work. Children learn to work collaboratively on tasks and learn about responsibility during daily routines as they help to tidy up before lunchtime.

Children behave well and understand what is expected of them. Staff are good role models for the children. Staff are skilled in supporting children to recognise and manage their emotions and have attended relevant training to enable them to do so. They make effective use of sensory activities and the sensory room to help children explore these further and help them to navigate through their different emotional responses.

Staff support children to resolve any conflicts and are skilled in knowing when to step in and offer guidance and when to step back and allow children to reach a compromise themselves. Staff support children to be considerate of others and their feelings. However, children are not always reminded to be mindful of respecting when it is other children's time to talk as well as their own, a valuable skill to help support them with their transitions to school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff are very nurturing and highly responsive to children's varying needs. They build trusting bonds and share secure attachments. Leaders and staff take time to know and understand their families' individual circumstances. They provide tailored support and a flexible approach to meeting individual needs to ensure children's wellbeing. The key-person system is also very effective and ensures children feel safe and secure. The setting prioritises children's emotional wellbeing and security, and staff have completed various training to support them in doing so.

Children benefit from healthy and nutritiously balanced meals and snacks. They develop independence during well-structured daily routines where staff teach them about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and what this includes. Staff sit with the children at mealtimes and offer support and encouragement for them to attempt to open their own packed lunch items and become increasingly independent in these tasks.

During daily routines, children explain about self-care routines and the importance of these to keep healthy. They skilfully attend to their own needs and get their own tissues to wipe their noses and dispose of these hygienically without the need for any reminders from staff.

Leaders prioritise welfare, mental health and wellbeing. Staff have attended various training, including how to deal with trauma in children. Leaders recognise that art activities can help support children to channel their emotion in positive ways and they invite specialists in to provide various workshops.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Staff work effectively together under a supportive and effective leadership team, that gives high priority to their wellbeing. Together, they provide a curriculum that is ambitious and inclusive for all children. It is tailored to take account of children's individual next steps in learning and their patterns of attendance.

Leaders place key emphasis on supporting their staff's continuous professional development. Staff are given time to reflect on their practice and the quality of experiences they offer to children. They attend regular training to continuously build on their knowledge and skills to improve outcomes for children.

Leaders and committee members attend safer recruitment training and understand their responsibilities to ensure the continued suitability of staff.

Leaders proactively work in partnership with parents. They seek their feedback and take their suggestions on board. They share information about how they can support their children to become increasingly independent at home and what they can do to ensure children are ready for their transitions to school. However, full consideration has not been given to ensuring parents of children with limited language consistently receive feedback that includes a greater level of detail about their daily activities and experiences.

Established partnerships exist with local schools that children transition to. Leaders actively seek feedback about how previous cohorts of children have settled and if there is anything more they can do to further strengthen their practice. Leaders have a clear understanding of their strengths and the areas for improvement. They understand their children and families and what to prioritise to ensure they are supported, and children feel safe and secure in the setting.