Cabbage Patch Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the setting happily and separate from their carers well. Staff and management greet families warmly at the door. This means that children quickly settle into their day, exploring the stimulating and well-resourced environment.

Leaders plan their curriculum well and carefully consider the layout of the room. Learning areas enable children to explore their interests. For example, the physical development area includes rubber bricks for children who like to build structures. Children enjoy and explore a range of activities. They enjoy working together to make dough, role playing with the dolls or using scissors to cut.

Children have regular access to outdoor play where they can negotiate space, speed and direction, as they run or use wheeled toys. Children also have opportunities to take part in activities such as yoga and football, which develops their physical development even further.

Children form secure attachments with staff who know the children very well. They have high expectations of children. This has a positive effect on children's confidence and emotional well-being. As a result, children become independent learners who are confident to access a variety of resources and activities. Children's behaviour is good.

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

• The manager has designed a curriculum to prepare children with the appropriate skills for the next stage of their learning. The main curriculum focuses are children's speech and language development, independence and confidence to make choices. Staff implement the curriculum well. For example, they allow children time to respond to questions and introduce new vocabulary. This means that children make good progress.
• Staff are kind and friendly and work hard to help children to feel at home in the setting. Children have positive relationships with staff who know the children well. For example, children confidently seek comfort from staff when needed. Children's care and well-being is effectively supported.
• Children understand the established routines and usually benefit from clear expectations about behaviour. However, at times, the behaviour expectations are not always consistent. For example, during adult-led activities, some children lose focus and distract their friends from stories and discussions.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. The passionate special educational needs coordinator works with the key person and parents to ensure children receive the extra support they need. Effective early assessments are used to help identify where children may need extra support. She makes appropriate referrals to external agencies and works together with parents, supporting them to access available resources. This helps children to make good progress from their starting points.
• Relationships with parents are very good. Parents describe the setting as 'amazing'. They comment that the manager and staff update them about their child's day during verbal handovers and posts on social media. However, staff do not always share specific information to parents about their child's development. This means that not all parents know what their child's next steps are. As a result, children's continuity of care is not promoted to the highest levels.
• Children are encouraged to be independent from the outset. They learn to independently wash their hands before snack or mealtimes, and staff encourage children to self-serve snack. Children are supported to develop their confidence to manage their self-care tasks. Good hygiene practices are in place and children learn about healthy food choices, which raises their awareness of leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Fine motor skills are developed through painting activities and using tools with the dough. Guided by adults, children enjoy using scissors to carefully cut paper. This helps to develop the small muscles of the hand, preparing them for later skills, such as writing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to implement the professional development systems, so that staff are consistent in their expectations of children's behaviour
• strengthen communication with parents to provide more specific information about their child's next steps and ways in which they can support their child's learning at home, to help them make even better progress.