Bideford Baptist Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are well cared for in this friendly pre-school. They arrive happily and are warmly welcomed by staff. Staff know children and their families very well. They plan activities designed to help children move on to the next stage in their development. Leaders ensure children learn about a wide range of interesting topics, such as Chinese New Year. They regularly monitor the progress children make and adjust the curriculum where necessary.

Children become immersed in their play. Younger children focus as they create paintings in the outdoor area. They experiment with different colours and movements as they learn to effectively use paint brushes. Older children concentrate as they create their own pretend meals in the toy kitchen. They carefully scoop vegetables, using spoons, into bowls and put their creations in an imaginary oven. Staff offer praise and encouragement as children play. Children demonstrate high levels of esteem and play well alongside their friends.

Children learn to keep healthy. They find out about the importance of oral hygiene and excitedly brush their teeth after lunch. Staff promote physical development well. Children show delight as they learn to hit shuttlecocks high in the air using badminton racquets. They learn to wait patiently for their turn on the bikes and then practise pedalling around the outdoor area. Behaviour is good.

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

• Leaders have a clear vision for the curriculum. They ensure that children access rich and varied experiences. Staff effectively work together to plan activities on what children already know and what they need to know next. They identify common gaps in children's knowledge and design a curriculum which addresses these areas first.
• Staff prioritise communication and language development. They create a language-rich environment with plenty of opportunities for songs and stories throughout the day. They develop children's speech as part of targeted groups. Children are keen to share their ideas with staff and visitors. However, staff do not always provide younger children and those who have limited speech with additional strategies to help them to communicate.
• Mathematical development is good. Staff frequently introduce mathematical language and concepts as they play with children. They include counting and number recognition as part of daily routines, such as counting the fruit at snack time. Children demonstrate their knowledge in their independent play. For instance, they talk about the shapes they are drawing as they pretend to be opticians.
• Staff put in place effective routines to encourage children to become more independent over time. For example, children learn to carefully pour milk into their cups and tidy away their plates at mealtimes. They demonstrate increasing independence in washing their hands and putting on their coats. Staff have high expectations of what children can do on their own.
• There is an effective key-person system. Children seek out comfort and support from trusted adults. Staff are kind and caring, and are positive role models to children. They recognise that some children struggle at regulating their behaviour. However, staff do not always intervene as quickly as they could to encourage children to stay on task during group times.
• Staff confidently identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo) is knowledgeable and works well with other agencies to provide support for children, including the local Nursery Plus team. The SENDCo works alongside parents and teachers to provide children with SEND effective transitions to school. Children with SEND are well supported.
• Leaders support staff well. There are effective systems of supervision and support of staff. Leaders provide staff with regular opportunities to update their skills and knowledge. Staff confidently discuss how training has improved their practice, such as through supporting children with additional needs.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff use a variety of methods to keep parents well informed of the progress their children make, including through informal daily discussions and termly meetings. They ensure that important information from parents is acted on quickly, such as ensuring changes to children's medical needs are understood by all staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• implement additional strategies to help younger children and those who have limited speech to communicate their needs to staff
• target support more effectively to encourage children to stay focused during group learning times.