Crestwood Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children play joyously with their friends at this welcoming pre-school. They demonstrate strong relationships with staff as they cuddle to greet them. Older children are confident and independent as they place away their water bottles and lunch boxes. The effective key-person system across the pre-school helps children to feel safe and secure as they form emotional connections with staff.

Children demonstrate their knowledge of what is expected of them when they are at pre-school. Staff introduce the 'golden rules' to them and children explain them clearly. For example, children discuss the importance of being respectful to the pre-school toys and how to be kind to those around them. Furthermore, children respond well to routines and instructions. For instance, they promptly respond at tidy-up time.

Staff develop exciting activities that increase children's understanding of feelings and emotions. For example, staff prepare puppet shows and teach children about feeling worried. Together, they talk about how they might be feeling about starting school and practise how to sign the word 'worried'. Children share their own experiences of feeling worried, such as going on a rollercoaster. Children become confident communicators as they express themselves clearly to their friends.

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

• Children have plenty of opportunities to explore books. They sit together in the cosy book corner and talk about their favourite characters. Furthermore, children become highly engaged in small-group story times in the garden. Staff read enthusiastically to children and talk to them about the different pictures. Staff build on this learning by encouraging parents to borrow books to promote reading at home. Children's love of reading is supported well.
• Leaders have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum that is well sequenced. Overall, staff understand the curriculum well and use their knowledge of children to plan for children's learning. However, at times, the implementation of some areas of the curriculum is not as consistent as intended. For example, during activities, staff interactions do not effectively increase children's understanding of broader mathematical concepts. This means that, at times, children do not receive teaching that challenges them and extends what they already know and can do.
• Staff encourage children to develop their independence skills. For example, they encourage them to make choices for themselves during play. Children confidently carry out care needs themselves, such as washing their hands and pouring themselves a cup of water. Staff also develop children's understanding of resilience. For instance, they encourage them to try hard when they are practising how to put on different dressing-up outfits. Children engage positively in their play and learning.
• Dedicated staff provide highly effective support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff develop strong channels of communication with professionals, such as speech and language therapists and medical workers. They do this to ensure that plans for children's learning and care are implemented collaboratively. Leaders strive to provide all children with access to their full entitlement to education.
• Staff are notably passionate in their approach to developing children's personal development. They are knowledgeable about children's starting points and adapt their approach to meet children's needs. For example, when children are struggling to regulate their emotions, staff use consistent methods to help children manage big feelings. Children demonstrate a good understanding of this too. They confidently use the language of emotions and discuss breathing techniques that help them to feel happy.
• Leaders are reflective. They regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the education and teaching they provide. Leaders organise regular meetings with staff and provide informative supervision sessions that focus on achievement and improvement. Staff speak positively about the high-quality training they have accessed. For example, they describe how planned training has increased their understanding of how to teach children about self-regulation. Staff professional development is of high priority.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the implementation of the curriculum to further extend children's understanding of mathematical concepts.