Crockham Hill Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to attend the pre-school. They leave their parents at the door of the pre-school and come in with self-assurance. Children show that they feel safe and secure. They move confidently around the pre-school, choosing what they want to play with. Children form strong bonds with staff. They readily seek them out for cuddles and comfort. Children have a positive attitude towards their learning. They focus well during activities. Children's independence and self-confidence are well supported. They have a can-do attitude, even when they face challenges. For example, children keep trying to put their coat on until they succeed. Staff praise children for their efforts and success.

Children are confident communicators. They talk to each other and adults explaining what they are doing. Children voice their ideas and needs. For example, children talk about the birthday cake they are making out of play dough.

Children understand they must follow the rules in the setting and act respectfully. Children develop an awareness of each other's feelings and learn to understand and manage their emotions. For example, during story time, children can explain how 'Billy goat gruff' feels when he runs away from the troll.

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

• The manager and staff support children's independence and resilience well. They consistently encourage children to manage their self care. Children learn to wash hands, dress themselves, share and take turns effectively. For example, staff encourage children to use a sand timer to take turns and share the scooter. Staff support children well with taking age-appropriate risks. For example, children balance and climb on small trees while staff watch and encourage them.
• The manager and staff have high expectation for every child in their care. They know their key children well. Staff observe children's learning and identify what they want them to learn. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their learning and development. However, staff do not always extend activities to fully support children and help them make the best progress in all areas of their learning.
• Children's communication and language skills are well supported. Staff constantly speak to children. Children enjoy sharing their experiences with staff. For example, they talk about the ingredients they need to make soup. However, they are not always given the opportunity to think and process their ideas and thoughts before the staff answer the questions for them.
• Children with SEND and those who speak English as additional language are well supported. Staff work closely with parents and external services to provide for children's individual needs. They plan targeted support to help children make progress in their learning and development. For example, staff follow advice from a specialist teacher to support children's development of language and social skills.
• Children behave well and have a positive attitude for learning. They listen and follow simple instruction well. Staff use age-appropriate language when communicating with children. They use Makaton constantly while speaking to children, ensuring all children understand what is said to them. For example, staff ask children for their preference of drink, while using the correct signs for milk and water.
• Relationships with parents are a key strength of the pre-school. The manager and staff keep parents well informed about their children's learning and how this could be supported at home. Parents comment that their views are respected. They are frequently kept informed of their children's progress and their day-to-day activities. For example, parents consultations are conducted regularly to update parents on their children's learning and development progress. Parents' feedback is overwhelmingly positive. They value the care that their children receive.
• The manager implements effective strategies, such as supervision, to evaluate staff workload and promote their well-being. They offer effective one-to-one meetings that support staff to reflect on their practice, discuss personal issues and further training. For example, staff have recently attended training to support children with speech and language delay.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to challenge and to extend children's learning to ensure that children achieve as much as they can
• allow children more time to process and respond to questions during interactions with them, to further support the development of speech and language.