Bodiam Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their learning in this welcoming, vibrant and friendly pre-school. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress in every area of their development through a rich curriculum which staff provide for them. Staff prepare children well for the next stage of their learning, such as going to school. For example, children are encouraged in their mathematical skills as staff hold up fingers for them to count. Staff link counting practice to rhymes, stories and books. Children recognise the number six and explain where they have seen this number before, making a link in their learning.

Staff support children to build caring and respectful relationships. They remind children to listen to each other to ensure that everyone gets a turn to speak. Children are encouraged to share toys and resources and to patiently wait their turn during activities. Those children who find it difficult to manage their emotions, build strong bonds with staff and learn to play with others. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. Staff help children to build their confidence and independence through a range of routine activities, such as putting a coat on when getting ready to play outside and pouring their own drinks.

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

• Staff identify any gaps in children's learning and development at an early stage. They work with parents and act promptly to secure additional help for children with SEND. Staff work closely with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists and schoolteachers to help prepare children for later learning.
• Generally, staff provide children with purposeful and stimulating interactions. They use a range of adult-led and child-led activities to help children grow in areas that they may need further support with. However, at times, staff do not consistently interact with all children, particularly quieter children, and encourage them to join in group activities. This is because more confident children capture the attention of the staff. As a result, there are times when some children are overlooked. Despite this, all children benefit from meaningful relationships they have with staff and enjoy their time at the pre-school.
• Overall, staff use group time activities throughout the day to encourage children in their learning. However, on occasions, staff cover a range of different learning intentions and do not focus precisely on what children need to learn next. Consequently, some children do not consolidate their learning skills and learning can be incidental rather than purposeful.
• Children develop good concentration skills. They listen intently to shared stories and join in with familiar phrases. Staff skilfully support children's vocabulary and imagination as they encourage children to find props to use alongside favourite stories being read to them. Children eagerly tell staff about the events in the story, which they know so well. This effectively supports children's vocabulary and helps them to develop a love of books.
• The pre-school celebrates customs and festivals that are important to children. Parents are invited to share information about their family's culture and any events that are specific to them and their children. This approach helps families and children to feel included and helps children to develop a greater awareness of the diverse world around them.
• Staff well-being is a strong focus for leaders. They effectively promote positive working conditions and have an 'open-door' policy for all staff. This helps to ensure a supportive and calm working environment which positively impacts the children they care for. Staff mention that they feel valued and listened to and that the pre-school is a 'wonderful' place to work.
• Staff ensure that children have access to a large range of healthy fruits and vegetables and have daily opportunities for outside play where they can be physically active. During mealtimes staff talk to children about healthy food choices and why it is important to follow good hygiene practices, such as washing hands and blowing noses on a tissue. Leaders invite oral health specialists to visit the pre-school to further support children's understanding of healthy lifestyles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen interactions so that children, particularly less confident children, fully engage and benefit from the learning opportunities
• support all staff to focus on the precise skills they want each child to gain, to fully maximise children's learning opportunities.