Cold Norton Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families are greeted with genuine warmth and kindness by the enthusiastic staff, who are happy to see them. They arrive at pre-school and are warmly welcomed into a fun play environment. Children demonstrate that they are keen and eager to explore the planned activities provided and leave their parents with ease. The team of staff provide children with a variety of exciting activities that cover all seven areas of learning, both indoors and outdoors. The curriculum is planned around observations and what children need to learn next. Staff plan in the moment and follow children's interests, which influences the activities provided. This ensures that children engage in learning and prompts their curiosity to explore. There is a strong emphasis on supporting children to develop the skills they need to be independent learners.

The effective key-person approach ensures that children form secure attachments and settle well. Staff are positive role models to the children, which supports them to develop kindness and empathy. The team has high expectations and praises children for making positive choices, such as when they play well together and help to tidy. Children understand the pre-school core values that underpin the curriculum, and their behaviour is good. Children demonstrate that they are confident communicators. They happily engage in conversation with visitors to the setting. They explain with pride about their colourful paintings and confidently ask for help as they make good attempts to store their work on drying racks.

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

• Children enjoy fresh air and exercise outdoors. They relish time in the garden and show enthusiasm as they participate in planned walks in the local environment. Staff encourage them to collect leaves for their artwork and they discuss the colours and shapes of leaves that they find. Staff respond to children's fascination when they find cobwebs and toadstools and engage them in meaningful conversations.
• The quality of teaching is good. Children are offered a broad curriculum that covers all areas of learning. Staff plan according to children's individual interests and what they need to learn next, promoting the skills they need to be independent learners. However, the curriculum is not consistently challenging and, sometimes, the most able children are unable to build on what they already know and extend their knowledge to an even higher level.
• Children learn the importance of staying safe and healthy through daily routines. For example, they are gently reminded about the 'snuffle station' where they access tissues to wipe their noses. They tell staff they need to wash their hands afterwards and throw the tissues in the bin. They enjoy healthy snacks, and stringent procedures are in place ensure children's allergies and dietary needs are supported.
• The pre-school is fully inclusive and all children make good progress, including those who require additional support. Professional relationships have been established with outside agencies to ensure continuity of care and early intervention. Good support is in place to help children achieve their full potential.
• Staff share relevant daily information with parents and have established friendly but professional relationships with them. They welcome and positively encourage input from parents into the children's learning and encourage them to share what they know.
• Parents speak highly of their children's time at pre-school, commenting that they are eager to attend, settle quickly and make good progress. Many comment on how welcoming the staff are, and that the pre-school is 'amazing'. Parents say they feel reassured that their children are in safe hands and appreciate the updates and good opportunities for communication.
• Staff are encouraged and supported in their own professional development. The management team promotes a culture of evaluating and sharing new ideas and knowledge learned from training opportunities to improve outcomes for children.
• Overall, there is a calm and happy atmosphere throughout the morning, and children are engaged in their play. However, the organisation of snack and preparation for playing outdoors means staff are sometimes busy with other tasks at these times. Therefore, they are not able to focus on supporting the children for a smooth transition to play in the garden or when they choose to have snack.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more opportunities in the curriculum to challenge children's thinking to consistently build on what they already know and can do
• improve the organisation of transition times, such as snack time and preparation for outdoor play, to ensure that all children are fully engaged at these times.