Coltishall & Horstead Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very busy and happy at this lovely community pre-school. Staff build strong bonds with the children and their families. They provide effective support when children find it more difficult to settle, such as creating bespoke timelines and ensuring that favourite activities are available. Staff provide a very well laid-out environment, where children freely access resources, make choices in their learning and become deeply involved in their personal explorations. The familiarity of the environment and simple routines, along with strong relationships with key persons and other staff, helps develop children's confidence to explore and learn.

Children benefit from regular trips to the pre-school allotment, where they experience the joy of growing and nature. Staff use these opportunities to teach children important life skills, such as road safety and listening to and following instructions. They also learn how to be gentle and caring as they tend to the chickens and carefully collect eggs. Staff consistently model kind and considerate behaviours and children learn to play together harmoniously. When children need additional support to thrive, staff work closely with parents, carers and other professionals. They plan and deliver a curriculum that ensures all children make progress in their learning and development.

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

• Leaders and managers have introduced a curriculum that is designed to fully involve children in their learning. They have accessed expert training to enable them to develop the necessary skills to deliver the intended curriculum. Staff see children as unique individuals and make regular assessments of children's progress, which they regularly share with parent and carers. They strive to build on, and extend children's individual skills, knowledge and understanding. All staff are ambitious for children to become independent, confident and curious learners. Staff work together well and indicate that they are happy and well supported.
• Leaders and managers regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. For instance, they have recently increased the focus on mathematical opportunities. This has resulted in children being exposed to a wealth of mathematical experiences and language. Children practise their counting as they vote for their favourite book. Staff teach them to recognise numbers and respect the rule of law as they read the book that received the most votes. Children hear and use mathematical language often. For example, they think about worms being 'under' the ground and and consider which is the 'medium' sized object.
• Leaders and managers focus well on supporting children's speaking and listening skills. They purposefully introduce children to new vocabulary, such as a pumpkin growing in a 'particular' way. Children learn early letter sounds as they practise making the sounds at the beginning of their names. They begin to recognise their name from others as they select to self-register at the allotment. They are learning important skills that prepare them for later reading and writing.
• Children develop confidence in their physical skills. They skilfully manoeuvre wheelbarrows around the allotment beds, develop an effective pencil grip as they draw, and confidently handle tools as they dig for worms. When they meet an obstacle, they remain calm and work together to find a solution, supported by staff who teach them to believe in themselves. Children develop high levels of self-confidence and resilience.
• Children develop a love of books and stories. Staff skilfully read to children, encouraging them to observe and predict what will happen. They teach emotional intelligence as they help children consider and name the emotions that characters are feeling. Children apply these skills as they play, such as when they notice a bird on its own in the tree and worry about it 'missing its mummy' like the birds in the book.
• Although leaders and managers evaluate the provision and provide supervision and training for staff, they are less successful in identifying and providing staff with the precise support necessary to raise the quality of teaching even further. This means that children do not further benefit from the ambitious curriculum intentions.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff skills further to improve the already good level of teaching so that children further benefit from the desired curriculum intentions.