Bexley Bears Preschool (Bexleyheath)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting happy and eager to begin the day. They are greeted warmly by staff at the door with a hello, a wave or through sign language. This helps to make each child's entry into the setting a unique and personalised experience. Children register themselves into the setting by picking the bear with their name on. They quickly settle at an experience provided as part of the setting's broad and ambitious curriculum for children.

Children's behaviour is good. Children develop positive relationships with their peers and play cooperatively. They share ideas and play imaginatively. For example, a cardboard box becomes an aeroplane taking them to the beach. Overall, staff promote children's independence well. For example, at snack time children pour milk from jugs and use tongs to serve themselves fruit. Children are eager to help tidy up and take turns helping to wash the tables down ready for lunchtime.

The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exceptional and is a strength of the setting. Staff continue to access a broad range of professional development to help to ensure that they can meet the needs of all children. Staff carefully consider how to adapt experiences to include all children, for example signing along while singing nursery rhymes.

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

• Staff at the setting know children well. They talk with passion about the progress children have made since joining the setting. Staff share with pride the leaps that children have made in their development and the next steps they have in place to continue to extend their learning further. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.
• Staff at the setting help children to develop a real love of books and early reading. Books are an integral part of the setting's curriculum for children. Throughout the morning, children bring books to share with staff. They also enjoy looking at books independently. Children who speak English as an additional language have developed favourite books that, through repetition, are expanding their use of English. As children sit down together to read 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?', children can recall previous experiences of the story and predict what is coming next.
• Children are confident and inquisitive learners, who are eager to try new things. However, at the present time, staff can be too quick to solve problems for children. They do not always give them the opportunity to try first to further develop confidence and resilience. For example, staff point to where the next puzzle piece should go ahead of children trying. When children are asked to roll their dough into balls, children immediately ask staff to do theirs for them, which staff do, rather than encouraging them to have a go first.
• Staff promote healthy lifestyles to children. Children understand the importance of washing their hands after using the toilet, before eating and when they have been in the garden. Staff create positive hygiene practises. They sit with children during lunch and talk about the different fruits they have and the benefits these provide to their bodies. Good oral health is promoted with termly visits from a dental nurse.
• Staff celebrate the diverse community in which they are based. For children who speak English as an additional language, staff learn to say key words in their first language, helping them to feel settled, secure and understood. Celebrations that are important to families are incorporated into planned experiences, so that children and staff can share what is important to them with others. This helps all children to feel valued and contributes to their high levels of self-esteem.
• Partnership with parents is good. Parents describe how the setting has supported their children's learning and development, especially in relation to promoting their independence and communication and language skills. Parents of children with SEND praise the way staff have adapted the setting to meet the individual needs of children.
• Staff at the setting feel well supported. There are effective systems in place for staff to engage in further training according to their interests and development needs. Staff feel encouraged to continue their professional development and that their opinions on how to continue to develop the setting are valued. Staff are reflective practitioners and regularly consider how they can seek the feedback of those using the service.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with sufficient time to solve problems independently to help to build their critical thinking skills, confidence and resilience further.