Caterpillar Pre-School of Battle Baptist Church

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their parents are warmly welcomed at this family focused setting at the heart of the local community. Staff greet children with smiles and cuddles. This successfully supports their emotional well-being. Older children immediately enter, settling quickly to join in with their daily 'squiggle' session. They enjoy exploring pens to make marks in time with music. This encourages their physical skills effectively. Staff are ambitious for children and have high expectations. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Staff immediately respond to their needs. For example, children spend time making models with coloured blocks based on their interests. Staff support them with sign language and cue cards to help their understanding.

Staff support children's self-care skills well. They provide activities to support children's understanding of oral health. For example, children eagerly explore toothbrushes in a tray, using them to brush dinosaurs teeth. Children also wash their own hands and faces and go to the toilet themselves. This effectively supports their independence. Staff praise children regularly. They are patient and calm in their interactions with children, showing kindness and care. When children need support, staff explain gently how their behaviour impacts on their friends. They offer praise and encouragement to help them share and take turns. All children make good progress from their starting points.

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

• Staff provide children with additional nurture sessions and resources to help them manage their emotions. For example, children enjoy one-to-one sessions with staff to talk about how they are feeling, using books and toys. This helps them understand their feelings and effectively promotes their social skills.
• Children benefit from staff who extend their learning about the world. Children enjoy learning how to use a digeridoo to make sounds, following their interest in African dance. They talk about where their friends come from on a world map. This successfully builds children's understanding.
• Children demonstrate that they are confident and comfortable. They excitedly explore the activities on offer. Staff know their children well and work hard to manage children's needs. Overall, staff organise the day well to provide children with a broad range of experiences. However, some aspects of the routines are not fully efficient. For example, when staff are completing tasks to change activities, children become unsettled and at times this impacts on their behaviour.
• Children with SEND make good progress. Staff liaise effectively with outside agencies and other professionals to support families. Funding is used well to provide additional support for children, such as providing staff training to support children who are deaf.
• Staff prioritise children's mathematical skills well. They use language such as 'segments' when talking about pieces of fruit. Children enjoy counting objects, recognising different numbers, and talking about them with staff. This effectively supports their knowledge.
• Children benefit from staff who engage them in conversations, following their lead. Staff are good role models. They listen well to children. For example, children enjoy exploring paints with staff, talking with them about the different colours they have made. This encourages their imagination and creativity skills well.
• Staff promote children's physical skills effectively. They access space in the church next door to provide children with large physical play opportunities. Children talk excitedly about walking to the allotment to plant fruits and vegetables. They confidently cut up their own snacks. These activities encourage their movement skills well.
• Managers are hardworking and proactive. They have effective oversight of the settings strengths and areas for development. They are confident in their role and responsibilities towards staff and children. They have strong relationships with local schools and settings to support smooth moves to school.
• Staff are well qualified. They work very well together. They talk highly of the focus on their well-being and how appreciated they feel. They receive effective support from managers, the church and committee to help them with their practice.
• Staff provide parents with regular updates about their children's progress. Parents appreciate the opportunities to come into the setting and to borrow toys and books to help their children at home. They talk highly of staff and how supported they are as parents. They report how happy their children are.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and improve daily routines and staff deployment more efficiently so that children do not become unsettled during these times.