Duckpool Pre-School C.I.C

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The highly-experienced leaders and staff share an aspiring vision for all children to receive first-rate education. They work seamlessly to ensure that their highly ambitious curriculum is ingrained in their practice. As a result, children excel in all areas of their development. Leaders and staff place a large emphasis on supporting children to understand and develop healthy bodies and healthy minds. This includes children being physically active in their play. Children help to build their own complex obstacle courses during outdoor learning and move their bodies in different ways. They take part in helping to prepare and cook different foods. They grow their own vegetables and learn where food comes from. Children recently made pumpkin soup. They taste various herbs and spices and talk about what they can smell and taste. Children develop an understanding of why certain foods are good for us. They help to 'write' recipe cards and draw pictures of the key ingredients, including avocado and carrots when making cupcakes. This helps to develop children's literacy skills.

Staff are excellent role models for children. They model how to use impeccable manners and shower children with an abundance of praise. Children show high levels of self-esteem through their determination and perseverance to have a go during tasks that they may find challenging.

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

• Leaders and staff place a strong emphasis on developing children's spoken language through superb teaching. They introduce core storybooks to children to help encourage rhyme, repetition and familiarity. Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of the sequencing of children's learning. They expose children to rich and complex words and encourage children to understand the meaning behind them. For instance, young children use words such as 'nocturnal' when listening attentively to staff reading stories. In addition, children take part in weekly French lessons and recall key words using actions.
• Children benefit from exploring an on-site woodland trail. Staff support children to develop an understanding of change and the world around them. Children recognise differences and similarities in their environment during their play. For example, during woodland walks, they talk to staff about the difference between the fallen leaves. Children look at the different veins running through the leaves and make comparison in shade lines and texture. They learn about keeping themselves safe when touching plants. For instance, they learn that some plants are prickly and sharp.
• Parents are invited to contribute their ideas and suggestions to help leaders and staff to reflect on the quality of the setting. Parents are invited into the setting to review how quickly their children have settled and to review their development.
• This helps to provide a continued approach to children's learning. Parents bring in items from home that staff use to extend the already excellent environment. For instance, parents bring in tubes and connectors, which staff have used to create a water pouring station for children.
• Leaders continually review and shape their practice. The dedicated manager meets daily with her staff team to review what has gone well and if any changes are needed. She completes supervision sessions with staff and works with them to identify individualised training. Staff develop an excellent understanding of the impact of paternal mental health on unborn babies and the importance of emotional well-being in early years. As a result of this training, staff support children to describe their emotions. They use props and resources. Staff help children to develop their social skills. Children talk about when they have felt sad and what they did to make themselves feel happy again. Children tell staff that they felt happy when they were the 'train driver' during an outdoor play game and that their friend gave them a hoop to use as a steering wheel.
• Leaders and staff demonstrate a superb understanding of recognising any concerns in relation to children's learning and development. They complete detailed observations and accurate assessments that help them to identify what children need to learn next. They work in close partnership with other professionals and implement strategies in their practice to offer bespoke interventions for children. For instance, staff have created a sensory calming space to help children to regulate their own emotions.