Bethersden Playschool Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are at the heart of this home-from-home playschool. Staff are warm and welcoming in their interactions with children, providing cuddles and comfort. As such, children settle well and have formed strong bonds with staff. This helps support their emotional well-being successfully. Staff plan a variety of interesting and motivating activities. For example, children delight in creating their own vegetable creatures, excitedly showing staff how they have made googly eyes and whiskers for their animals. Staff celebrate children's achievements, praising and encouraging them. This effectively develops children's confidence.

Staff know children very well. They plan experiences based on children's interests and needs. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) spend a long time engrossed in exploring their favourite magnetic letters. Staff skilfully support their learning by identifying with them words that begin with the letter 'm'. Children delight in saying 'mango' and 'monkey', and smile as they play with staff. This helps develop their knowledge and understanding of literacy and words well. Staff have high expectations for children. They prioritise developing children's language and vocabulary skills. For example, children eagerly join in with rhymes, copying actions and requesting their favourites. These activities successfully support children's developing social and communication skills. All children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and make good progress from their starting points.

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

• Children demonstrate secure understanding of the rules and routines. For example, they immediately go to wash their hands when asked and to help staff arrange furniture. However, at times, staff do not always explain to children the impact of their behaviour on others, to support their developing friendships further and help them understand what is expected of them.
• Staff support children to learn about keeping healthy. Children enjoy talking about a dentist visit and practise brushing their teeth. They excitedly chatter about their yoga session and nutritious fruits they have planted. These activities help develop children's understanding of healthy choices.
• Children benefit from activities designed to develop their physical skills. They remain engrossed when exploring playdough, choosing different cutters and rolling pins. Staff encourage them outside to jump and climb. This helps develop children's movement and coordination skills effectively.
• Staff have created personalised plans to ensure children with SEND make good progress. Staff seek specialist advice to ensure children receive swift and effective support. Staff take children regularly to the nearby school to support smooth transitions. This means children settle well and feel secure.
• Staff encourage children to learn new words. For example, children enjoy learning about radishes and cress, and talk about the different fruits and vegetables they know. However, at times, staff do not always identify how these activities could be extended to provide more challenge and support children's learning even further.
• Children's mathematical knowledge is well supported. Staff model to children how to count accurately using their fingers to count objects. Children are encouraged to compare different quantities when planting seeds. They enjoy building fences for their pretend farm animals, developing their understanding of shape and space effectively.
• Staff support children's independence skills well. At lunchtime, children pour their own drinks and unpack their own lunches. Staff are calm and sensitive in their approach, gently encouraging children to have a go and persevere when opening packets. Children demonstrate high levels of confidence as a result.
• Leaders and managers are passionate and hard working. They genuinely want the best for children. They have effective plans to develop the outdoor provision further to interest and motivate children. They use funding very effectively to support children's individual needs. They have strong partnerships in the local community to help families where needed.
• Communication with parents is strong. Children have made good progress in their speech, social skills and toilet training. Parents appreciate the support they receive themselves. They talk fondly of the learning journals that their children bring home and the sensitive and patient staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff understanding of how to promote positive behaviour strategies to help children learn what is expected of them and support children's developing friendships
• support staff to identify when activities can be extended to support children's learning even further.