Blewbury Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and happy. Most arrive keen to start their day. They find the resources on offer interesting and quickly settle to productive play. Staff fully understand that for children to be ready to learn they need to be fully settled. With this in mind, staff adapt settling-in processes to meet the individual needs of children. Children who adjust quickly to the new routine of attending pre-school are encouraged to say a quick goodbye to family and start their day. Children who find the change a little harder can spend as much time as they need exploring their new surroundings with family members. This approach shows that staff really care about children's well-being.

Children behave well. Staff recognise that many children had fewer opportunities to socialise, due to COVID-19 national lockdowns. In response, staff offer lots of gentle and clear support as children learn the skills of sharing and playing cooperatively.

Children benefit from a curriculum that is well planned and designed to give them the skills and knowledge they need for future learning. Staff understand how important it is for children to know lots of words and have the confidence to use them. They plan well, so that children learn and understand new words. For example, staff teach children the words 'splodge' and 'splatter' as they use paint. They introduce new words to children as they learn about the festival of Diwali. The strong focus on developing children's vocabulary helps ensure they are able to share their ideas and talk confidently to each other.

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

• Children show they are developing a real love of books and stories. They excitedly gather on the floor to listen to stories, read in animated voices by staff. Staff encourage children to borrow books to take home to share with their family.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive very effective support. Staff closely monitor progress, and are rightly delighted about how well these children do. There is lots of support for parents to navigate the pathways to getting the specialist help their children may need.
• Staff know what they want children to learn about numbers, shapes and measurements. They know that for children to be able to solve mathematical problems for themselves they need a deep and secure understanding of these. Staff make good use of resources to teach children how to count accurately and use mathematical language in their play.
• Parents speak very highly of the staff. They describe the setting as having a 'family feel'. Staff establish effective partnerships with parents and use these well to support children's development. Parents welcome the advice that is offered to help children achieve developmental milestones, such as when the time comes to begin toilet training.
• Children are safe. Staff supervise them closely at all times. However, staff have not considered fully how to incorporate the appropriate and safe use of technology into children's learning, in order to further enhance children's understanding of personal safety.
• Staff are highly effective at building children's self-esteem. They offer lots of smiles and praise. Children beam with pride as staff praise them for putting on their own coats or completing a puzzle. The positive and encouraging atmosphere leads to children who are learning the benefits of trying hard and having a go. These skills will be very useful for later learning.
• Staff are highly successful at making children feel valued. Staff plan very carefully, so that children's cultural backgrounds and families are reflected in the resources, displays and activities on offer. Children see pictures of themselves and their families. They get to experience the food, clothes, dances and festivals from their own cultures and those of their friends. This helps ensure children gain an accurate representation, and positive view, of the diverse world in which they live.
• The staff team is very well established. The manager leads by example, working as a key person and being fully involved in the day-to-day life of the pre-school. However, this does mean she has fewer opportunities to stand back to observe staff practice. This impacts on her ability to focus support and staff's professional development on what will best help them raise the quality of their existing good practice even further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support the manager to monitor staff practice more closely, so that feedback can be more tailored to helping each staff member build further on their existing good skills
• develop children's understanding of how to use technology purposefully and safely.