Blossom Wood Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly in the secure and welcoming environment the dedicated staff create. Staff use their knowledge of the curriculum to enable children to explore and learn. The activities and experiences they provide help children develop key knowledge and skills that prepare them for school.

Children engage in warm interactions with staff, which helps them build trust and learn how to develop relationships. For instance, when they feel unsettled, young children seek comforting cuddles. During these interactions, children and staff connect, making eye contact and sharing smiles. These back-and-forth interactions support the children in developing their early communication and language skills.

Children are developing their imagination. Staff offer children natural and recycled materials that inspire them to engage in learning. For example, children use upcycled bed slats and wooden blocks to create roads, bridges and ramps for their small-world vehicles. During this play, the staff join in with the children to help them learn how to play together and understand the concepts of sharing and taking turns, thereby developing their social skills.

Children share books with staff, promoting their love of reading. For example, when the staff share the story 'Rumble in the Jungle', children are active. They use their whole body to pretend to be jungle animals.

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

• Staff understand what children need to learn during their time at the setting. They gather information from home and observe children during their play to assess where they are in their learning. They use this information to identify individual children's next steps.
• Staff use children's next steps and their knowledge of their interests to plan adult-led activities. During these activities, children engage and learn. However, when staff resource the learning environment, they do not use their knowledge of the children to correctly match opportunities and resources to meet the needs of the younger children. As a result, children do not fully engage in the learning opportunities, which hinders their progress.
• Staff support children to develop their early reading skills. They regularly plan opportunities to teach children songs and nursery rhymes and learn how to distinguish between environmental and instrumental sounds, which will later enable children to hear the differences in letter sounds. Staff support children in continuing their love of books at home by providing them with the opportunity to access their lending library, which allows children to share their favourite nursery books at home.
• Staff regularly provide opportunities for children to learn outdoors and develop physical skills, such as jumping, running and balancing. They promote healthy eating and encourage children to drink water frequently, using these moments to remind them that drinking water helps keep teeth healthier.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their independence through daily routines such as preparing to go outside. Children are learning to find their outdoor shoes and coats, and staff share techniques with them to enable them to put coats on themselves.
• Staff establish clear expectations for children's behaviour, creating an environment where children behave well. They actively demonstrate respect during interactions by listening attentively to the children and engaging with them thoughtfully. Through gentle guidance, staff teach children the importance of kindness and care for others in their interactions. Children begin to understand how to behave and play together.
• Leaders reflect on their setting and identify priorities by collaborating closely with parents, the local authority adviser and their broader organisation. They focus on helping children develop their communication and language skills. To learn more about this, staff undertake extra training. Staff use what they learn in training in their work. For example, they now ask open-ended questions when talking with children instead of those needing only a one-word answer, which helps children grow their language, thinking and reasoning skills.
• Staff recognise the importance of identifying children who may have emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) at an early stage. They collaborate effectively with the SEND team, which provides specialist support and information regarding funding. Staff gather relevant information from parents and make observations to aid referral processes.
• Staff work closely with parents and interact with them daily. Many parents express gratitude for specific instances where staff members take the time to understand their child's unique needs or provide resources for the children and their families. Overall, this reflects their deep trust and appreciation for the staff's work.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the learning environment to ensure younger children can engage in all the learning opportunities provided.