Copythorne Pre-School

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders support staff to implement precise and effective processes that quickly identify children's individual needs. For example, staff gather information about children's stage of development when they first start, so that they can tailor educational plans individually. This means that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported from the very beginning.

Staff know children and their families very well. They have developed strategies to support all children. Staff have daily conversations with parents to update them on children's progress and activities during the day. Parents receive clear information with 'home learning targets' to help them understand how they can best support their children at home. Staff also collaborate with other professionals involved in children's education, such as speech and language therapists. This supports a joined-up approach for children.

Leaders continue to strengthen their approach to inclusion. They have identified that they want to focus on supporting staff to make continued skilful adaptation of children's educational plans to further drive achievement for children with SEND.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Since the last inspection, leaders have focused on developing an ambitious curriculum through careful analysis of teaching in the setting. The curriculum covers the 7 areas of learning and is generally sequenced. Overall, this helps children to build on their existing skills and knowledge. Leaders previously identified weaknesses in children's personal, social and emotional development and have focussed on improving staff interactions to further increase children's understanding of the language of feelings.

Staff are beginning to understand the curriculum and their teaching is often of a high standard. Leaders recognise that there are are parts of the curriculum that still need strengthening. For example in some areas of learning the curriculum is not consistently well sequenced and therefore activities do not always align with what children need to know next. Leaders recognise this as an improvement priority. For example, leaders are actively increasing staff confidence of teaching and planning for mathematics.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum focuses on promoting children's communication and language. Staff recognise opportunities to extend children's vocabulary and provide them with opportunities for conversation. Alongside this, staff build on children's sense of identity and celebrate each child as an individual to develop their confidence. They set-up activities that directly link to children's current interests, such as toy cars or construction equipment.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make continued progress from their starting points and are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education. Children enjoy playing and learning outdoors. They begin to develop early reading and writing skills and explore books and chalks as they play together collaboratively. Children learn how to move their bodies and develop physical skills as they jump, run and skip around the well-organised play spaces.

Children learn secure social skills, such as sharing and enjoy collaborative games that teach them about taking turns. They begin to develop independence skills as they learn to clear their cups away after snack and find their own name for self-registration. Children develop a broad vocabulary. They build confidence in social groups and engage in conversations. For example, at snack time, young children talk about the names of different fruits and vegetables and which ones are their favourite. Children's communication skills develop well.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have very high expectations for children's behaviour. They have developed a clear and consistent approach to how rules are introduced and discussed with children. As a result, all children have and secure understanding of what is expected of them and follow the rules in place effortlessly. Older children support those who are younger to understand these too. For example, they remind them to use 'walking feet' inside.

Staff are knowledgeable about how to adapt the way they deliver rules to different groups of children and how to support those who are younger to understand different expectations. Staff are excellent role models and create an environment where children demonstrate care and respect for those around them. For example, children wait patiently for their turn with favourite dressing up items and kindly ask one another if they may have a turn.

Children have highly positive attitudes to learning. They listen intently to stories and engage readily in the outdoor environment as they use large motor movements to make marks with chalks.

Leaders have developed a secure approach to attendance. They work closely with all families to understand their circumstances so that they can identify any barriers to attendance. Leaders share information with parents about the benefits of regular attendance and how punctuality can support children's understanding of routines in preparation for school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff have a secure understanding of how to promote children's welfare and wellbeing. They build close and secure relationship with children. This means that children feel safe and secure in their environment.

Staff support children to develop personal skills, such as self-care and independence. For example, leaders have been working on specific changes in the routine so that children have enhanced opportunities to practice doing tasks for themselves. Where appropriate, staff make adjustments to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are younger, to help them access this learning at their individual stage of development. As a result, children learn how to be responsible for their belongings such as their lunchboxes and water bottles. Children demonstrate confidence as they learn to carry out tasks for themselves.

Children are beginning to learn about elements of a healthy lifestyle. Leaders have built partnerships with local professionals who attend the setting and deliver exciting sessions to children about oral hygiene and balanced diets. Staff are beginning to extend this teaching throughout their daily routine to further increase children's knowledge of different fruits and vegetables. They use mealtimes to talk to children about how strawberries grow and reflect on their experiences of growing them in the community gardens. Leaders have also begun sharing information with families about online safety and have considered how to implement this into more explicit teaching with children.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders responsible for governance of the preschool have failed to notify Ofsted about significant changes in the leadership of the preschool. Furthermore, leaders have not provided Ofsted with the information they need to carry out the required suitability checks which is a breach of requirements. However, committee members have had their suitability verified through the preschools safer recruitment processes, such as enhanced disclosure and barring service checks and gathering references, as they work within the setting. This means there is no impact on children's safety.

Leaders have sustained a continuous focus on improvement since their last inspection. Committee members closely support staff to evaluate the settings effectiveness and align training precisely with improvement priorities. For example, staff have engaged in training to increase their understanding of the different ways in which children learn. This has strengthened staff confidence and raised the quality of teaching delivered to children. Leaders also ensure that staff engage in meaningful supervision sessions. Staff share that these are an opportunity for supportive feedback where they can also share their views about how they are getting on in their role, outlining any key training they feel would benefit them. Staff feel valued and supported.

Leaders engage with the local community. They enrich children's experiences by engaging with the local churches and community gardens where they grow their own fruits. Leaders have also established effective partnerships with local schools to support children at times of transition.