Chelford Village Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The dedicated manager and skilled staff team are passionate about children's learning. They have worked hard to develop and embed an ambitious curriculum. Activities are carefully planned and sequenced to develop children's skills over time. For example, younger children focus on developing listening and communication skills when hearing stories and joining in singing time. Older children build on their listening skills with activities that help them to identify sounds in words. Children progressively build skills that help to prepare them for school. Staff build close relationships with children and parents. They warmly welcome children as they arrive, showing genuine interest as children talk to them. Children are settled and confident. They are motivated and have a good attitude to learning.

Staff know the importance of children having good social skills. They use small conflicts during play to help children think about how their actions can change how they and others feel. For example, children say that not everyone is sharing the buttons equally. Staff respond swiftly. They help the children to say how they feel. Children quickly decide that sharing the buttons fairly will help their friends feel happy. Children are listened to and they voice their opinions well. They show confidence in managing conflicts during play. Behaviour is good. Staff work well together; they communicate effectively to make sure children are always supervised. This helps to keep children safe.

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

• Leadership is good. The manager is well supported by the pre-school committee, who oversee the planned developments for improvement. Parent feedback is welcomed to support improvements. For example, parents wanted more information on activities to help children's learning at home. The manager organised a curriculum meeting for parents and added information to the website and newsletter. Parents say they use their knowledge of the curriculum to support learning at home. Children's learning is continuous.
• Staff use assessment to plan precise learning outcomes for each child. Where children are not making progress, this is swiftly identified and support is put in place. Staff notice that some children are reluctant to use pencils. They offer different ways for children to mark make. Children, including those who would not usually engage with mark making, join in the activities. Children practise mark making and develop their pencil control.
• Staff plan the curriculum to encourage children to explore and experiment. Staff make ice cubes in the shape of fish. They help children to think about what might happen to the ice fish if they are put into warm water. Children decide the fish might 'go smaller'. Staff introduce new words such as 'melt' and 'shrink'. Children develop their thinking skills and their curiosity. These skills help children to become the most effective learners.
• Children know the daily routine, and they generally engage well with activities. However, the timing and location of some activities coincide with routine interruptions, and children become distracted. For example, story time takes place when some children arrive or leave the setting. Children find it hard to maintain a deep engagement at these times, and this lessons their concentration on the activity.
• Staff consider children's emotional well-being as they teach new skills. Children use a plastic knife to cut vegetables. Staff supervise children closely. They show children how to use the knife. Staff offer encouragement as children repeat the task with vegetables that are increasingly difficult to chop. Children persevere, and they are delighted as they slice the vegetables. Children develop resilience and a sense of achievement. This helps children to build positive self-esteem.
• Children's physical development is well promoted. They pick up buttons and play with dough, building finger strength and developing their small muscles. Outdoors, children have ample opportunity to balance and run. They build their large muscles and develop their coordination.
• Staff generally encourage children's independence to develop in self-care tasks. For example, they teach children to wash their hands, and children know to do this after using the toilet and before eating. However, staff do not consistently remind children to cover their mouth when coughing or to use a tissue when needed. Children are not learning these self-care skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to organise the curriculum in a way that helps children to remain deeply engaged in their learning
• encourage children to develop good hygiene habits to help them further improve their self-care skills.