Carlton Colville Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting excited and keen to begin their day, and they leave their parents with confidence. Staff greet children and their parents in the morning with enthusiasm and kindness and are quick to settle children through the door. Children get straight into their play. They hug staff and excitedly talk about what they have been doing. Children show confidence and pride as they explain, 'I have a new hat and scarf.' Children are happy and chatty as they engage with the resources and activities that have been chosen carefully by staff. Staff pay attention to children's interests when selecting resources for the day that cover all areas of learning. This ensures that learning is engaging and fun. Staff value free play for children and promote choice, asking them what they would like to do. This means that children's levels of engagement are high and that good-quality learning opportunities are promoted by staff.

Children are immersed in high-quality interactions. Staff create an environment rich in communication and language. Children learn signing as part of the ambitious curriculum, which supports them to become 'creative communicators'. Children are encouraged by staff to become independent learners and are supported only when is required. Staff promote a 'can-do' attitude for children. For example, children put on their coats independently, saying 'I'm in!' as they do up their zip. Children receive praise for every achievement, which gives them a sense of pride throughout their day, promotes their self-esteem and drives their motivation.

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

• The manager leads the staff team exceptionally well. All staff, including the manager, actively engage in professional development. This strengthens knowledge and deepens staff's understanding about how children learn.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Funding, such as early years pupil premium, is used to support children's individual development. Enhanced staff ratios allow for children's additional needs to be met and a wider range of experiences to be offered. This gives children who receive additional funding the same opportunities as their peers.
• Children communicate all the time with staff, who interact with them to extend their chatter, expressions and signing. This creates a busy and inclusive environment.
• Literacy is promoted by the abundance of books. Staff tell children stories, sing songs, use props, dress up and bring animation to the stories they tell. Children shout excitedly, 'Arhh me hearties' when reading about pirates. Children are immersed in the experience that telling stories brings, and this drives forward a love of early reading.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They comment that staff are friendly and welcoming. Regular conversations with staff keep parents updated about their child's progress. They express the positive impact the pre-school has on their children's development and how their children love coming and are sad to leave.
• Children enjoy opportunities to make marks, for example, as they happily pick up chalks and paintbrushes. This means that children are developing fine motor skills that support early writing.
• Staff encourage sharing and turn-taking. They comment 'good waiting' and, 'We are kind to our friends.' This reinforces positive behaviour and helps children form friendships.
• Staff cleverly introduce mathematics into conversations. At snack time, staff talk about cutting a cucumber in half and promote number recognition, asking children how many pieces they would like and then helping them to count the pieces as they chop. This supports children's understanding of what numbers represent.
• Staff assess risks in the outside area to ensure that it is safe. Children use the outdoor resources that are available to them to fuel their imagination. They dig in the sand pit as conversations from staff encourage growth in their vocabulary. Children use ride-on toys, walk on stepping stones and climb. This gives children the opportunity to extend their physical development and to strengthen their large motor skills and balance.
• Some staff use children's names as they interact with them. This helps children to recognise their own name and those of others, for example, when taking turns. However, some staff use pet names for children, which does not help children to learn about their unique identity or themselves as individuals.
• There are clear arrangements in place to support new staff so that they have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. New staff have undergone and are continuing induction training, and all staff have regular supervisions.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed a consistent approach in supporting children to recognise and use their own name.