Cullompton Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this exceptionally warm and inclusive setting. Staff prioritise getting to know each child extraordinarily well through home visits and detailed information-sharing with families, and they meticulously plan for each child's individual learning journey. Staff use their deep knowledge of child development to respond sensitively to children. Their skilled teaching means that children make rapid progress in their learning.

Leaders are inspirational. They have created a culture in which the child is at the heart of all decisions. Feedback, reflection and evaluation are central to leaders' unrelenting drive for improvement. The team works diligently and highly collaboratively to create an ambitious curriculum that successfully prepares children for the next phase in their education. For example, children feel confident about starting school, having been supported to develop a solid foundation of physical skills. Staff work tirelessly to ensure that they are providing rich experiences which support the high aspirations that they have for all children.

Staff are excellent role models. Children demonstrate exceptional attitudes to learning, to staff and to each other. They are kind, thoughtful and take pleasure in celebrating their peer's efforts and achievements. Staff value children's contributions, and children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. Children confidently share their thoughts, ideas and opinions with staff who actively listen and sensitively respond.

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

• Leaders ensure that the ambitious curriculum is securely embedded across the provision. Educational programmes are thoughtfully sequenced to allow children to secure their knowledge and development across the prime areas of learning. Skilled staff make accurate assessments and carefully plan appropriate next steps for individual children's learning. Staff identify any gaps at an early stage and act promptly to address them, and children do well.
• Children show very positive attitudes and are keen to engage with activities and learning opportunities. Staff tailor their teaching to meet the needs of each child, which supports their engagement. They demonstrate patience and extremely high levels of focus when being introduced to new concepts or receiving instruction during adult-led teaching and learning. Staff are warm and caring, and children demonstrate exceptional behaviours towards each other, modelled by staff who care deeply about their well-being.
• Children are fully immersed in their play and learning and talk with enthusiasm about what they know and can remember. Staff encourage children to share their ideas and thoughts, and children are excellent communicators. For example, they excitedly share news of the arrival of caterpillars at the setting and talk with confidence about what will happen next, using their developing vocabulary to describe how the caterpillars will soon 'nibble their way out of their cocoon'.
• Staff use their knowledge of each child to effectively adjust their teaching approaches in the moment. They are self aware and tuned in to children's communication and behaviours, noticing changes in children's body language and tone during activities. Staff are curious about children and consistently provide them with the opportunities to express their own needs and ideas, and to be listened to.
• Children demonstrate high levels of independence and resilience. Staff seamlessly integrate opportunities for children to develop these skills into the routines of the setting. Children take care of their belongings and the environment, carefully tidying away resources and clearing their plates after mealtimes. Children consistently demonstrate tenacity when they encounter difficulties. For example, they work carefully and steadily to fasten items of clothing before asking staff for support. Staff show great skill in knowing when to intervene and when to give children more time.
• Leaders support staff to take a holistic approach to children's care and education. Partnerships with parents, other settings and external agencies are a triumph. Staff work with other professionals to support children to reach their potential. Accurate assessments of children's needs are appropriately shared and discussed in order to provide the best possible support for their learning and development.
• Diversity and cultural differences are widely celebrated throughout the setting. Families are encouraged to share their backgrounds and experiences, and children are supported to appreciate what makes them unique. Staff draw on children's rich cultural diversity and collaborate closely with parents to share culturally relevant stories, songs and food within the setting, supporting children's sense of pride and belonging and sparking discussions about their family lives.