Diddy Dinos Keston

Inclusion: Expected standard

Staff identify children with barriers to their learning. They typically embed strategies to monitor the progress children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make over time. This helps them to set clear targets. Staff typically adapt their teaching to help all children access the curriculum. For example, they use Makaton to help children to express themselves. Staff consider the background experiences of all children to help plan opportunities for them to experience new activities. For example, they recognise when children have had limited sensory experiences and plan opportunities for children to feel different textures. Children enjoy discovering how things feel as they do messy play activities. Children develop a positive attitude to new experiences. They have high levels of self-esteem as they approach tasks.

Staff generally work with external partners to promote children's learning, including schools. However, this work is not yet fully embedded. For example, leaders are not consistent in ensuring that staff are consistently guided by expert advice to support the learning needs of a wide range of children.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have a clear vision for a rich curriculum that captures the imagination of all children. This is based on broadening children's experiences and ensuring that they are excited about the world around them. Staff consider children's backgrounds to offer opportunities for children to continually learn something new. This helps children to gain a wide variety of skills and knowledge.

Staff embed the curriculum well. They are consistent in their approach to teaching all children key mathematical skills. For example, all children hear counting throughout the day. They have opportunities to repeat and reinforce their knowledge of numbers. Children excitedly explore measuring and pouring in the garden. This helps them to develop problem-solving skills.

Staff have thought-provoking discussions with children, where every moment is an opportunity for children to gain conversational skills. Children are engaging talkers who are able to express themselves at expressive levels. Staff support all children to access a curriculum that is based on children's individual circumstances and needs. For example, they consider the support children with barriers to learning need on the balance beam as they gain confidence and physical strength. Children of all stages of development succeed and show they feel confident.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children learn key physical skills that help them to build their physical strength. They spend time running, climbing and balancing. Children learn that this helps them to become strong and physically healthy. They have positive attitudes to sports and team games, and this helps them cooperate with one another. Children gain a solid foundation of key skills to build on.

Staff consistently teach children social skills. They remind them to be kind to their friends and are positive role models for children. Children typically learn key social skills that help give them confidence in preparation for school.

Children learn to express themselves with confidence. Staff engage children in thought-provoking back-and-forth conversations as they talk about items of interest, for example describing differences between foods. Children use descriptive language to ask questions and gain knowledge. This helps all children to gain solid communication skills for their future lives.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children develop self-belief and confidence as they explore the familiar and welcoming pre-school. They build increasing resilience as they jump from higher platforms in physical education sessions. Children learn a range of skills that help develop their strength and coordination. They take responsibility for themselves as they take on leadership responsibilities. This helps all children to develop confidence. Leaders consider barriers to attendance and punctuality and help to promote positive attitudes among children and their families.

Staff teach children clear rules and expectations that help to keep them safe. Typically, the support they provide enables children to behave well. However, sometimes, expectations of children's ability to follow instructions are not precisely pitched to their stage of development. For some children, the rules when sitting on the carpet are too restrictive and inhibit their ability to focus and concentrate. Staff do not consistently adapt how they support all children to join in. Not all children are able to develop consistently positive attitudes to learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Staff consistently teach children self-care skills that help promote their safety and wellbeing. For example, they talk to the children about keeping hydrated. They plan routines that support children to feel physically healthy, for example making snack times an opportunity for children to try a wealth of new flavours. Staff gently adapt their support for children with barriers to their wellbeing. For example, they encourage children who have a limited diet to try new foods from around the world. Every child is valued as staff praise and encourage them. Children develop lifelong healthy habits.

Staff consider children's changing circumstances and needs as they plan routines. For children with barriers to their learning, staff consider how they help them to manage their feelings. For example, staff teach children breathing exercises that help them to relax and calm down. This helps them to regulate their emotions. Staff teach them about the physical impact exercise has on their bodies, such as listening to their heartbeat. This promotes children's understanding of their own physical development.

Staff consistently support children to develop independence. For example, children cut up their own fruits and vegetables such as strawberries and melon. Children have high levels of wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are reflective of their practice. They regularly evaluate their provision and the impact this has on children's development. Leaders create plans for improvement that help the pre-school to continue to improve. Leaders plan regular opportunities for staff to undertake professional development opportunities. They use appraisals with staff as an opportunity to encourage them and support their wellbeing. Staff enjoy working at the pre-school and feel that their contributions, for example to the planning and development of the learning environment, are valued. Leaders support staff to effectively understand the curriculum and its aims through regular team meetings. This gives staff confidence in delivering the curriculum for all children.

Leaders make links with external partners to support children's transitions. For example, they work closely with schools to share information that helps to promote children's future success. This includes where children have gaps in their learning.

Leaders typically engage with parents to help them to support their children's education. For example, they give parents information about learning that helps them to understand the key skills children need. However, leaders do not ensure that opportunities to engage harder-to-reach parents are fully embedded. This limits the ability of staff to support all children to thrive in all aspects of their learning and development beyond the pre-school.