Butterfield Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed by warm and caring staff into this 'family-centred' setting. They settle quickly and confidently into their chosen activities at the start of the day. Children's happiness and well-being are key priorities for all staff. Focused training has provided staff with the skills and knowledge to teach children to recognise and manage their own feelings. Children have secure attachments with their key person. For example, those who are initially upset are settled very quickly, through kind words and actions by staff who know them very well. Children feel safe and happy in this nurturing environment.

Well-resourced indoor and outdoor learning environments provide children with a wide variety of natural and interesting learning opportunities. Knowledgeable staff are responsive to children's imaginative play and help extend their ideas further. For example, older children are skilfully supported outdoors to develop their interests through role play. They excitedly create a home and prepare food to feed 'hungry dinosaurs'.

Devoted staff consistently strive to improve children's communication skills. Carefully chosen songs and stories are shared throughout the day. For instance, children are welcomed with a song at circle time, and staff sing with the children when changing nappies. Strategies, including signing are used superbly by all staff and children. Staff expertly teach children new words and signs. This ensures all children are confident to express their needs and feelings in a meaningful way.

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

• Overall, children benefit from a very detailed, high-quality curriculum, with a strong focus on developing their emotional well-being and communication and language skills. The engaging activities are carefully planned to match what individual children need to learn next. However, it is not always clear what staff want children to learn in relation to their physical development, to support their progress to an even higher level.
• Staff sensitively join in with children's play. They listen to children and ask questions to decide how to extend their thinking and learning. For example, a group of younger children excitedly move a set of knitted ducks from one area to another. A member of staff sits alongside them and sings 'Five Little Ducks'. She counts the ducks and children repeat each number. This helps children to develop their early mathematical language through their play.
• Children enjoy nutritious, home-cooked meals and fresh fruit snacks. Self-care routines are securely embedded, and staff are excellent role models. Mealtimes are very calm and well organised. Children manage their own needs independently. They are confident to ask staff if they need help to cut up their food. Children wash their own hands and use a knife and fork.
• Children learn about the wider world through celebrations, such as Diwali. The setting is a highly valued part of the local community, and they regularly join in with local events. Children are effectively taught to respect the natural world outdoors. For example, enthusiastic staff teach children about worms. Children confidently pick up the worms and carefully compare sizes. They excitedly talk about how the 'wiggly' worms move. This helps them to understand how to care for living things.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are particularly well supported. This is a real strength of the setting. Dedicated and determined managers makes sure every child receives the support and resources they need. Overall, nurturing relationships and high-quality teaching ensure that children make very good progress. For example, a thoughtfully planned outdoor activity supports a child's balance, confidence and independence skills.
• Partnerships with parents are particularly strong. Parents repeatedly say they appreciate staff going 'above and beyond the expectations of any setting'. For instance, children who are due to start school nursery are accompanied by their key person. This ensures every child feels secure with the changes and continues to thrive. Parents feel the setting has been 'transforming' for their children. For example, a child's communication and language improved significantly in a very short time after starting the setting. Parents are very well informed about their children's progress and appreciate the regular meetings and information they receive. For example, the setting consistently shares teaching techniques and resources to support children's learning at home.
• The manager has a wealth of knowledge and experience. She is extremely passionate about early learning, and is committed to providing the very best experiences for every child. She continually goes 'the extra mile' to secure services from partner agencies. A robust performance management process is in place, and staff are continually supported to develop their skills and interests through training and professional development. As a result, teaching is consistently good. Staff well-being is a priority, and their workload is managed effectively. Staff are well supported, and their morale is high.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to develop the curriculum for physical development, to ensure that activities have a clear focus on what children need to learn to extend their achievements further.