Crosspool Community Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), thoroughly enjoy their time at this stimulating and warmly welcoming pre-school. They make very strong and sustained progress in all aspects of their development. Staff prepare children extremely well for the next stage in their learning, including developing the skills and knowledge they need for starting school. For example, children develop their problem-solving skills as they create intricate construction models. They explain that 'the frog transforms to an aeroplane' and demonstrate the flapping wings. They learn to be curious and observant, and use a rich vocabulary as they examine caterpillars and other insects with magnifiers. They identify and name the 'antennae' and explain how they will become a 'chrysalis'.

Children are safe, secure and very well behaved. Staff have very high expectations for children's behaviour and are excellent role models. They help children who find it difficult to manage their emotions to make excellent progress in their learning and personal development. Children rapidly acquire the confidence to explore the world around them. They learn how to take care of themselves and live healthily. For example, they regularly participate in motivating yoga and challenging climbing activities on the trim trail and obstacle course, and enjoy nutritious snacks based on food from around the world.

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

• Staff strongly promote children's communication skills. They plan effectively in order to introduce children to a rich and broad vocabulary that is built on their interests and widens their knowledge of the world. Staff make very good use of repeated activities, including songs, rhymes and daily greetings, to make language memorable. For example, they cover topics such as the days of the week and types of weather. Engaging games, such as clapping the syllables in children's names or the characters in their favourite books, further enrich their vocabulary and understanding of language.
• Children develop a love of books and stories. They are very well prepared for developing their early reading skills. Staff identify a range of songs, rhymes and books that children will experience as they progress through the pre-school. Children can explain that the books 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and 'Rapunzel' are traditional tales, and use their dolls and construction toys to make a castle so that Rapunzel can 'let down her long, blond hair'.
• Staff provide highly effective support to children with SEND. They identify possible gaps in children's development at an early stage and act promptly to address them. Staff work closely with other professionals, such as speech therapists and local authority advisers, to ensure that children achieve their potential. Staff make purposeful use of any additional funding to meet children's individual needs and create a supportive learning environment.
• Staff help children to behave very well and to show consideration for others. They strongly promote all children's personal development. Children enjoy taking responsibility for tidying away their own toys as they go along, and they work together to clear away as sessions end. Children's appreciation of a healthy lifestyle is enriched through visits from a dentist and stories and role play.
• The well-qualified and knowledgeable manager, who works closely with the chair of the committee, provides ambitious, thorough and considerate leadership. She is very well supported by the experienced and fully committed staff team. The manager skilfully evaluates the effectiveness of the pre-school and draws on the views of staff, parents and children. They ensure that purposeful targets for improvement are efficiently met.
• Staff are passionate about their roles. Their morale is high and they feel well supported by senior leadership. Staff make full use of good-quality training to create exciting education programmes. For example, they are working closely with the school that they are based in to sharpen their provision for children who speak English as an additional language, and undertake training with speech and language therapists to further support children's communication skills.
• Parents are highly appreciative of the professionalism, warmth and care that the manager and her staff show at all times. They strongly recommend the pre-school. They welcome the many opportunities to contribute to the children's learning and development. This includes the engaging stay-and-play sessions, volunteering opportunities, or sharing their cultural and religious experiences from several different countries with the children.