Buttons@newtonleys

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The exceptional care and education that children receive at the pre-school has a significant positive impact upon their lives and futures. Every child makes excellent progress because of the flexible and progressive curriculum. Children with special educational needs make rapid progress in their learning because the staff and environment meet their needs extremely well. Children thrive at the pre-school and show intense concentration in the array of fascinating learning opportunities available for them. Young children become immersed in mixing ingredients together, while older children follow step-by-step recipes to make dough. Resources are open-ended, meaning children become creative and share their ideas. For example, during the inspection children imaginatively built an animal enclosure and prison tower from large building blocks in the garden.

Staff have high expectations for what children can achieve. They engage with them through thoughtful questioning that challenges children to think and use their own ideas. Children's behaviour is superb. Staff have an excellent understanding of how to support children and manage their needs. Early support enables staff to put effective methods in place to divert children's attention and sustain their interests. As a result, the pre-school is a productive and harmonious environment where children are continually engaged in their learning.

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

• All staff understand the curriculum intent and put it into practice with confidence. They know when to stand back and allow children to explore and discover. Consequently, staff identify meaningful, unobtrusive opportunities to build on children's understanding and move their learning forward.
• Following on from the previous inspection, the provider has taken decisive action to improve the quality of the pre-school. The new manager leads the staff team with vision and passion. Staff work together to get to know children, families and the local community in depth. This has significant advantages for helping to keep children safe and for staff to build on their learning.
• Staff's excellent support ensures that activities are inclusive and accessible for all children. Staff expand on children's vocabulary, exposing them to new words during conversations. Children make excellent progress in their communication and language skills and any gaps close quickly with the support they receive.
• Staff shower children with warmth, compassion and genuine care. There are exceptional arrangements to support children who have newly arrived in the country following unimaginable trauma. Children quickly trust the staff caring for them, and use basic but effective sign language to communicate. Parents tell of their gratitude for the provider's flexible and understanding approach to welcoming all children into the pre-school family. The key person relationships are very successful in supporting children.
• There are excellent arrangements in place to support children's emotional well-being. For example, there is an area where children can find images and pictures to help them to express their emotions and feelings. Staff read books to help children to work through their emotions and to give them time to calm down and relax. Children with special educational needs have a quiet area where they can retreat from the group if they feel overwhelmed. There are tactile toys for children to play with as they work through their feelings.
• Early intervention ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have the targeted support that they need from the very start. Staff quickly work to identify what children's needs are and make adaptations in the environment.
• Staff appreciate the importance of supporting children's health and nutrition. Children start the day with a breakfast snack, ensuring that no children are hungry when they start learning. Staff recognise that children who do not have a garden benefit from playing outdoors. Staff encourage children to be active and develop their physical skills, promoting their good physical health.
• The provider is a visionary whose uncompromising commitment to providing children with the highest level of care and education is evident. She has high ambition for what children can achieve regardless of their backgrounds and previous experiences. Consequently, the pre-school offers children exceptional learning experiences.