Catkins Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide children with a consistent routine and, as such, children love attending their sessions at the pre-school. Staff regularly review routines and practice to enhance children's experiences at the pre-school. For instance, following the COVID-19 pandemic, children enter and exit the pre-school using two different exits. This helps create a more relaxing experience for the children.

Staff plan opportunities for children to access stimulating and engaging experiences all through the day. For instance, children enjoy exploring ice 'treasure hunting' activities. Staff encourage children to use language and learn new words such as 'petals' and 'stem'. Children engage so deeply with this activity that they want to explore it later in the day after the ice has melted. Children extend this activity by adding other items, such as mud and cars, to the tray. All children spend extended periods of time fully immersed in their play. Staff skilfully recognise when to intervene to offer individual children encouragement to join in. This is successful in managing children's feelings and behaviours, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders provide a strong focus on building children's confidence. Children have opportunities that prepare them for the transition to primary schools. For instance, older children have targeted sessions called 'Rising Fives'. Children bring favourite toys from home and take turns to stand in front of their peers to talk about these. These opportunities enhance children's confidence and self-esteem.

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

• Leaders support staff to provide routines that encourage quality experiences for children. For instance, during circle time they consider the age groups and needs of children. Staff divide the children into two groups. This successfully enhances engagement from children with high levels of SEND. It also helps to ensure that staff meet the unique needs of all children.
• Leaders and staff engage well with other settings. They also liaise with other professionals that work with children. For instance, staff regularly share information with childminders who provide care for children who attend their pre-school. They also liaise with local schools to prepare for children's transitions. These strong partnerships help in meeting the needs of children, both within and beyond the pre-school. It also provides continuity in children's learning and development.
• Leaders have the required skills to further enhance their team's development. For instance, they regularly observe staff and provide feedback based on their observations. This supports staff's continuous professional development. It also equips them with the skills they require to fully meet the needs of children.
• Leaders use any additional funding to enhance their provision to support children's learning. For instance, they have bought resources to develop and meet children's sensory needs. Children, including those with SEND, begin to use new words, such as 'ice'. They confidently sing their favourite nursery rhymes. This enhances children's speech and language as well as the use of their imagination.
• Children confidently approach staff to share what they have learned with them. For instance, they bring toy cars to staff and successfully identify the colours, sizes and how many they have. They use descriptive words such as 'big', 'small' and 'red'. Children demonstrate what they know about the world around them.
• Children have secure bonds with their key persons. For instance, children who are settling into the pre-school sometimes cry, but they are confident to go to their key person for comfort. This helps children to regulate their own feelings easily. It also enhances their relationships within the pre-school, which helps them relax and enjoy their time and learning to the maximum.
• Staff encourage children to live a healthy lifestyle. They provide children with opportunities to engage in physically active play, both within and outside the pre-school. For instance, staff take the children on regular walks and outings within their community. They also encourage children to eat healthy meals at snack time by providing them with a wide variety of snacks and fruits. This facilitates good development in children and also creates an early awareness of making healthy food choices.
• While teaching overall is strong, there is sometimes less focus on promoting children's mathematical understanding. Staff use some opportunities, such as when children are scooping cereals into their bowls, to instigate counting. However, support for children in this area is inconsistent and children do not receive very much encouragement to count beyond two.
• Staff have longstanding and trusting relationships with parents. For instance, parents feed back about how well staff support their children's transition into the pre-school. This further enhances children's ability to settle and thrive within the pre-school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the support for children to develop their mathematical understanding, particularly their counting skills.