Cowcliffe Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children become confident learners at this friendly and welcoming pre-school. Their well-being and safety are of the highest importance to leaders and staff, who greet children with enthusiasm as they arrive. Children begin their day with group registration time. During this time, leaders and staff support children to get to know each other. They help children to learn and understand the rules and routines of the pre-school. Consequently, children feel happy and settled in the pre-school.

Children develop a love of learning. They become highly engaged in their play, both with their friends and alongside staff. Staff in the pre-school know children extremely well. This helps them to plan targeted activities and play opportunities that support children to meet their next steps in learning.

Children show curiosity about the world around them and develop their ability to solve problems. For example, they concentrate well as they try to break open pieces of ice. Staff talk to children about why the water has turned into ice. They introduce children to a range of vocabulary, such as 'smooth' and 'frozen'. These high-quality interactions with staff support children to develop their understanding and language skills.

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

• Leaders and staff thoughtfully consider how to plan the programme of activities to build on and expand children's experiences. For example, they ensure that children receive many opportunities to play outdoors and take part in sensory-play activities. Leaders use funding to provide exciting opportunities for children to learn new skills. For example, they organise sessions for children to learn how to ride balance bikes with an external teacher.
• Children enjoy daily singing and storytime sessions. They frequently take books to staff, who read to children with expression and ask appropriate questions to check their understanding. Staff have taken part in training around storytelling. This helps them to improve the ways in which they support children to develop their imagination and love of reading.
• Staff act as good role models for children. They use good manners and encourage children to do the same. Consequently, children are kind and respectful towards each other and the adults who work in the pre-school. Children listen well to the instructions of leaders and staff. For example, they happily help to put the resources away at tidy-up time.
• Children behave well in the pre-school. Staff quickly recognise when children need further support to regulate their behaviour. They invite children to take part in calming and purposeful activities in the sensory room. This helps children to learn how to manage their own behaviour and redirects their focus on learning.
• Staff provide children with some opportunities to develop their independence skills. For example, they encourage children to manage their own personal care skills, such as dressing and handwashing. However, staff do not always extend these opportunities. For example, they do not always invite children to help prepare or serve their own snack, and instead do this for them. This does not consistently build children's confidence in developing their independence skills.
• Parents and carers say that staff are friendly and approachable. They appreciate the care and attention that leaders and staff give to their children. Parents receive regular feedback about children's learning and development. This is via an online app or through regular parent's evenings. Leaders have ambitious plans to provide parents with ideas and suggestions to further support their children's learning at home. However, these have not yet been fully put in place to be wholly effective.
• The committed leaders regularly review their own and staff's practice. They continually aim to make positive improvements to the pre-school. For example, leaders are making upgrades to the outdoor area. This further enhances children's outdoor-learning experiences. Staff report that leaders provide high levels of support for them. They attend regular supervision sessions with leaders. Leaders make good links with local colleges. This ensures that the right support is in place for staff who are new to the early years workforce. As a result, all staff are able to carry out their roles to high standards.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend the opportunities for children to develop their independence skills, in particular during snack time
• continue to build on and strengthen the support for parents to extend their children's learning at home.