Codford Caterpillars Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they feel happy, safe and secure. They arrive confidently, take off their shoes and coats and put on their slippers. They quickly engage in activities set up for them by staff to nurture their interests. Children develop a sense of belonging and respect for their surroundings through shared responsibility for small tasks. For example, staff encourage children to sweep the floor after snack time and tidy away toys when they have finished playing with them.

Staff support children to develop their communication and language skills well. For example, they add new words to extend children's vocabulary and repeat children's language to help them learn to pronounce words correctly. Staff identify any gaps in children's development, and the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) provides targeted interventions to help them catch up.

Children enjoy plenty of fresh air and exercise to help keep them fit and healthy. Staff support children to develop their physical skills. For example, they teach them how to use the pedals on tricycles. Staff praise children for sharing and taking turns and model good manners and kindness. Children reflect this in their interactions with others. For example, they say please and thank you. Staff work closely with parents to help to ensure that children make good progress from the outset. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education, including school.

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

• The manager plans a broad and balanced curriculum, with a clear focus on developing children's independence in preparation for school. Staff use assessment well to identify when children might be falling behind and work closely with the SENCo, parents and other professionals to put additional support in place, when needed.
• Children are independent from an early age, which helps to develop their confidence and self-esteem. They learn to attend to their own toileting, wash their own hands and make decisions about when to wear aprons to keep their clothes clean when engaging in messy play.
• Staff read stories with enthusiasm to nurture a love of books and develop children's literacy skills. For example, toddlers listen intently and join in with the actions and words as staff read 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. Older children look at books independently, turning the pages one by one.
• Staff sing songs and share rhymes with children to develop their language skills. For example, children join in with excitement as staff pretend to be flying saucers in the garden and sing songs about spacemen. Children sing spontaneously as they play, and other children join in with them.
• Children learn the mathematical concepts suitable for their age in preparation for later learning in school. For example, staff encourage children to count and recognise numbers during play. At snack time, staff working with pre-school children help them to learn the concepts of size and colour. For example, they encourage children to consider which fruits are 'bigger' and 'smaller'.
• Staff provide a variety of sensory materials for children to explore, to help develop their sense of curiosity. For example, children use spoons to scoop gloop and watch it drip into a container. Children mould play dough with their hands, which helps them to build the muscles they need in preparation for early writing.
• Children confidently self-select resources and join in with activities organised by staff. However, staff do not always adapt their support and expectations to ensure that all children's learning is extended as far as possible. For example, on occasion, activities are not sufficiently challenging for all children, and they lose interest.
• Children are polite and generally follow the rules and expectations of the setting. However, when challenging behaviour does occur, staff do not always explain the consequences of children's actions to help them learn to manage their own behaviour. For example, they tell children not to throw toys but do not tell them why. Consequently, they repeat this behaviour.
• The manager and SENCo work together to use any extra funding to nurture the interests of children with additional needs and help them to reach the next steps in their development. For example, they have worked together to purchase appropriate resources.
• Parents report that their children enjoy attending the pre-school and that staff are kind, caring and approachable. They value the information shared with them via the online application and through the detailed verbal discussions they have at collection times.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to teach children consistently to understand the consequences of their actions, to help them learn to manage their own behaviour
• provide more targeted challenge during adult-led and child-led activities that extends children's learning even further.