Corbridge Preschool Early Years

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, safe and settled at this friendly and welcoming setting. Staff place a strong focus on teaching children to share, be kind and play cooperatively together. Children are encouraged to take turns as they climb the steps of the climbing frame. They share magnifying glasses with their friends as they use them to hunt for spiders under rocks in the enclosed garden. Staff's expectations of children are high. Children's behaviour is good. Established daily routines and strong bonds with staff help children to feel emotionally secure. Staff praise children for their achievements. This helps children to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Children are encouraged to make their own choices. For example, they choose between milk or water to drink at snack time, and which toys they would like to play with next.

Children benefit from daily fresh air and exercise. Staff support their physical development well. Children strengthen their muscles and develop their balance as they climb, slide and stretch on a range of equipment. They practise physical skills that will eventually support their early writing. Children knead and roll the dough that they have made, and print patterns on it with leaves. They chop vegetables and paint them with brushes as part of an activity. This helps to develop children's smaller muscles and coordination.

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

• Staff have lovely relationships with the children in their care. They are respectful, calm and kind. Staff know individual children very well. They understand how to help children embed their learning and build on what they know and can do. Staff act as good role models.
• Staff provide good support for children to become increasingly independent. For example, they encourage children to try to put on their coats and shoes ready to go outside. Children learn first-hand about the natural world. For example, they plant seeds in the setting's vegetable patch and watch them grow. This helps children learn about nature and the importance of looking after the world around them.
• Overall, support for children's developing communication and language skills is good. For example, children learn words and phrases as they listen to stories, and take part in singing and rhymes. However, there is scope for staff to help children increase their vocabulary further. For example, staff sometimes miss opportunities to encourage children to express more detailed responses to questions.
• Children learn about colours and numbers when they play and through general opportunities throughout the day. For example, children count the bricks that they use to build towers. They identify the colours of the paint that they use.
• Children learn mathematical concepts, such as 'full and empty' and 'more and less', as they weigh and measure with sand and water. They are motivated, enthusiastic and engaged in their learning.
• Staff provide good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work well in partnership with parents and partner professionals. Parents speak highly of the setting and the care that their children receive. Staff have formed strong relationships with local schools. They share information with schools to help provide a smooth move for all children on to the next stage in their learning.
• Children have opportunities to learn through their senses. For example, they explore the inside of pumpkins and marrows with their hands and compare the two. However, on occasions, staff do not always provide opportunities for children to explore and investigate further. For example, at times, staff do not consistently support children to extend their learning by combining and mixing materials and resources.
• The manager is dedicated and wants the best for the children and families in her care. The manager and staff team are highly qualified and very experienced. The manager is a strong leader and supportive of her staff team. Staff are conscientious and well organised. The manager and her staff team evaluate the experiences for parents and children. They regularly update their knowledge and are dedicated to the continuous improvement of the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• encourage children to express more detailed responses when asking questions
• develop opportunities for children to explore and investigate, such as by supporting them to combine and mix materials and resources, to help extend their learning.