Denmead Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children confidently enter the pre-school. They know where to store their belongings and settle swiftly in to explore the activities and resources that the staff provide. Children are very independent as they make choices and decisions, and are happy and ready to learn.

Children benefit from quality interactions with staff. Staff sing to children as they change nappies, share stories and play alongside them. Children benefit from a calm, caring and attentive staff team. They offer children praise and encouragement, which supports their self-esteem and emotional well-being effectively.

Children are enthusiastic learners who embrace all the staff offer them. They sing songs on stage, 'cook' mud cupcakes, climb with confidence and ride pedal tractors. Children lead their own games, playing collaboratively with each other. Older children are particularly caring and help younger children put on aprons, for example. They offer to help staff and have lively discussions about what they know. Children are curious and ask questions, eager to learn more about the world they are growing up in. All children are thriving at the pre-school. They are learning many skills to support them to move on to the next stage in their education.

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

• The manager has very clear aims for the children who attend the pre-school. These are clearly seen through the daily routines and practice. Children's independence is a high priority, for instance. Staff support children to learn to wash their hands effectively, self-serve their fruit snacks in the café and make their own play dough. Children learn to manage these tasks competently with sensitive support from staff.
• There is a strong emphasis on supporting children to develop into effective communicators. All staff are positive role models for children, using signs as well as speech to help children's understanding. Staff teach children new words as they play, sing songs and read stories. They swiftly put plans in place to support children who need extra help. 'Chatterbox' groups, for example, help children have high quality teaching experiences in smaller groups. This effectively helps children to reduce gaps in their speech development.
• Staff know the children they care for well. The key person approach is firmly embedded to help children settle in swiftly. Children are very confident to approach their familiar adults for comfort and reassurance.
• Staff generally support children to manage their feeling and emotions well. However, at times, they step in too quickly with solutions rather than encourage children to think of strategies themselves. This limits children's abilities to learn about conflict resolution and problem-solving, for instance.
• Children are engaged and happy. They have long periods to play uninterrupted. Staff use music indoors to hep children know when a change in routine is expected. This helps children to finish what they are doing without rushing, before moving on. However, staff have not fully considered how to support transitions from outdoors to indoors. Occasionally, moving indoors unsettles children. They are not consistently prepared for changes.
• Staff build effective working partnerships with other settings children attend and external professionals who work with children. This supports high levels of continuity for children's care and learning.
• The use of additional funding is carefully considered to ensure all children have the same opportunities and experiences. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very effectively supported through carefully planned and targeted help.
• Parents comment very positively about the support they and their children receive from the staff. They say the staff have helped their children come on in 'leaps and bounds.' For example, ideas, advice, play packs and a library for children offer many opportunities for parents to continue children's learning at home.
• The manager and owner are reflective and strive to continually improve the pre-school. Staff development opportunities are very effective in ensuring staff continue to improve their skills and knowledge. This has a positive impact on the quality of their practice, and the pre-school overall.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with further support in managing and expressing their feelings to enable them to independently resolve problems and conflicts with others
• review how transitions between outdoors and indoors are managed so children have time to finish what they are doing and prepare for these changes.