Boxmoor Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children excitedly arrive at the pre-school, where leaders and staff welcome them to get ready for their day. Children develop warm relationships with staff. They feel safe and secure and put their belongings away and seek out activities. Children have developed secure attachments through an effective key-person approach. Leaders and staff provide children with a well-sequenced curriculum based on their interests. They encourage children to persevere in their chosen tasks, which supports children to have a positive attitude towards their learning.

Communication and language are strong at the pre-school. Children build their listening and speaking skills through communication groups led by key persons. The pre-school's special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is knowledgeable in her role and how she can support children and families. She works closely with other professionals to provide targeted learning for children to make progress.

Leaders and staff act as good role models. Children demonstrate good behaviour and show care and respect for one another. Staff help children to understand about sharing and taking turns through play. Children show awareness of the pre-school rules and learn to embrace one another's differences. Children use photos to help show how they feel, and staff encourage them to talk about their feelings and emotions.

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

• Leaders are committed to providing a clear curriculum for all children. They know children well and ensure that adaptations are made to meet children's individual needs. For example, staff support children with toilet training and work with children and families to ensure that they receive targeted support. This gives children confidence to talk about their needs, and staff help children to swiftly move on in their development to make them feel secure.
• Relationships with parents are a priority of the pre-school. Parents speak highly of the various methods of communication with them. They discuss the importance of the individual care children receive through exceptional efforts made by leaders and staff. This helps children to transition into pre-school swiftly to help them feel settled and make good progress.
• Children are provided with choices to play indoors or outdoors. They can decide how to create obstacle courses and explore a range of ways to be physical. Children can make decisions about where they would like to play and explore. However, staff do not always consider how they are deployed to ensure that children benefit from high levels of engagement in their learning.
• Leaders place priority on the safety of children. Staff demonstrate exceptional understanding of safeguarding and the responsibilities they hold. Staff receive regular training to support their knowledge of legislation, including child protection. This ensures that safeguarding children is always prioritised at the pre-school.
• Children are supported with following their interests. Staff plan teaching and learning through focused activities. For example, children can explore various resources, such as play dough, to manipulate textures. Occasionally, staff do not consistently extend children's learning to build more thoroughly on what they know and can do through meaningful interactions.
• The SENCo makes good use of regular communication group sessions to support children and target the support they need. The SENCo regularly works in partnership with other professionals to ensure that children have access to strategies and tailored individual support to make progress and develop well. There is a strong emphasis placed on positively working together to make further forms of assessment.
• The committee supports the pre-school in its organisation. For example, it regularly fundraises and creates events to develop the pre-school and leads on this. Leaders and staff have opportunities to support with fundraising events. For example, children enjoy making art work and signs to show their participation in events.
• Staff report that they feel supported by leaders. The manager ensures that staff have regular opportunities to identify their training needs. Staff discuss their professional development and undertake training regularly. As a result, staff feel valued and receive support to carry out their roles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the deployment of staff to ensure that children benefit from further engagement that supports their learning to a high level
• help staff to strengthen the quality of their interactions with children so that teaching challenges and extends children's learning more effectively.