Brockworth Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create an environment that provides age-appropriate resources, many of which are open-ended to encourage exploration, imagination and curiosity. Children develop their physical skills inside and outside of the classroom using the large and small physical play equipment available. The garden provides ample play space for children to move their bodies and develop their physical skills through climbing, running, lifting and building. The children enjoy climbing on low-level branches of the large trees, instilling confidence and self-worth as the children manage risks safely.

Staff explain to the children how physical exercise and eating nutritious food will keep their bodies healthy. Staff encourage the children to eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables, describing this as 'eating a rainbow'. Staff further promote healthy eating by allowing children to prepare snack as part of their daily routine. Children further develop positive health and independence skills through regular handwashing within the setting. Staff and children say a rhyme to ensure they remember the sequence for washing hands effectively.

Children have clear diction to create their own conversations and demonstrate enquiry through ample questioning, particularly when they are curious. Staff provide engaging activities to develop and challenge children's communication and language development.

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

• Staff provide the children with wide opportunities to explore their mathematical skills, and most children are developing well in this area. Staff model mathematical language well and provide ample resources and opportunities for counting and visually recognising numbers. For example, during an activity where children were making their own play dough, staff modelled mathematical language, such as 'small', 'large' and 'heavy', and used continuous counting language. Children are retaining mathematical concepts well.
• Children enjoy messy play activities, such as painting and water play. Children have access to choose their own resources, allowing for the development of confidence and a strong sense of self-awareness. Staff provide tools for many activities around the classroom to build on children's fine motor skills. However, staff miss opportunities to expose children to a wide variety of letter shapes and sounds to support their basic literacy skills.
• Children are developing well in their independence skills. Staff allow for children to carry out basic tasks within the classroom to support the daily routine and give children a sense of pride in their actions.
• Staff build strong partnerships with parents quickly within the setting and support parents to settle their child into the pre-school. Children and their families are allocated a key person, who supports their personal needs. The key person works alongside the parents well to get to know the child and support the future development of the child. It is clearly demonstrated that the children settle well, with many children starting at the setting in September. Those children demonstrate confidence and positive mental well-being to explore the classroom independently.
• The provider works well to support children and their families who have moved to the area from other countries, particularly when families speak English as an additional language. Staff communicate positively with families and encourage parents to help integrate their cultures into the setting. For example, children who have moved from Poland brought some traditional Polish cakes into the setting for their peers to try.
• The setting's curriculum ethos is that children lead their own learning experiences and explore their own interests. However, children would benefit from more structured and adult-led activities to prepare them in their transition to school.
• The staff work well as a team and have regular meetings to ensure good communication. Staff are reflective and evaluative in their practice, and they make sure that children are meeting their milestones through detailed assessments, to ensure they are continually learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more structured, adult-led activities for older children to support the transition of them starting school
• provide more opportunities for children to increase their awareness of letter shapes and sounds.