Dothill Pre-School and Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the setting with huge smiles on their faces. Staff are very nurturing and show lots of care towards all children. This helps children to build lasting bonds with all staff. Children regularly seek out staff when they are in need of help or reassurance. This demonstrates how safe and secure children feel at the setting. Children are confident learners. Older children practise a range of movements, as they climb, balance and jump off the obstacle course. Younger children enjoy sensory activities, such as play dough. They use a range of tools and equipment to manipulate the materials together.

Staff plan a range of stimulating and purposeful adult-led learning experiences. This helps to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points. Children use their imagination as they use a range of boxes and tubes to make their own 'shaker'. They show lots of concentration as they use scissors and other media to help them stick the different objects together. Staff are very positive role models. This helps to further embed positive behaviours. Staff talk to the children about their feelings, emotions and their actions. This helps children to learn what is expected of them. Children behave well.

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

• The manager is passionate and ambitious. She uses her own evaluations as well as the feedback from parents to develop a clear action plan. The manager is keen to raise outcomes for all children.
• Leaders recognise that every child is unique. They have developed a curriculum which is ambitious for all children. Staff have clear intentions for activities they set out. However, on occasion, during free flow, staff do not support the children to learn the specific skill they need to enable them to complete activities by themselves.
• Leaders place focus on supporting children's communication and language development. Parents take home stories to read with their child. In addition, staff remodel language to the children. However, there is scope to promote children's critical thinking and language development further. For example, at times staff ask children closed questions, or do not give them enough time and space to think about their responses to questions.
• Staff find out children's starting points from parents. They then routinely observe and assess children's development. Staff use this information to identify any gaps in children's learning. Where concerns are raised about a child's development, staff seek support from their special educational needs coordinator (SENCO).
• The SENCO is very knowledgeable. She works well in partnership with parents, other professionals and staff to help ensure that children with SEND receive the timely support they require.
• Staff work well in partnership with others. They regularly attend meetings with other professionals and parents. They use this information to help keep children safe and to ensure all children have the support they need to thrive.
• Staff speak highly about the support and coaching they receive from leaders. They have regular meetings with leaders to reflect on their strengths and how they could improve their practice. In addition, leaders provide staff with additional training that helps to develop their knowledge and confidence.
• Parents and grandparents describe staff as caring towards their children/grandchildren. Staff use a range of methods to keep parents informed about their child's progress. Parents have a clear understanding of how they can support their child's development at home.
• Leaders have a robust understanding about how they promote equality and diversity within their setting. This helps to ensure that all parents, staff and children are treated fairly. Leaders provide lots of opportunities for children to learn about themselves and others. This helps children to learn and understand about their wider world.
• Settling-in sessions are tailored to meet each child's needs. In addition, staff share key information with other settings that children attend. This helps to ensure children receive the consistency they require.
• Staff are keen for children to learn how they can stay healthy. They provide the children with a range of balanced and nutritious meals. Staff also provide parents with information about how they can support their child's oral health.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide opportunities for children to develop their communication and language and critical thinking skills, with the use of more open-ended questions and give them enough time to think about their responses to questions
• enhance staff's understanding of how they can support children to learn the skills they need to accomplish tasks by themselves, particularly as they free play.