Eastfield Community Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Clear management oversight of the pre-school ensures children's needs are met and their health and safety maintained. Children are happy and settled. Parents express how inclusive the pre-school is, especially for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff support all children to develop a range of skills which support their future learning and development. For example, children are supported to learn simple rules, boundaries and expectations. A visual timetable is used well to help children become familiar with the daily routine. Staff use a tambourine to encourage children to stop and listen. This enables staff to give children clear instructions, which they then happily follow. This promotes children's good behaviour and cooperation.

Children learn about being healthy. Staff encourage and promote children's awareness of healthy eating. Children also learn to develop positive hygiene practices, such as toothbrushing. Staff supervise children as they learn how to use a toothbrush and toothpaste to clean their teeth after meals. Planned visits from the dentist further support children's awareness of developing good dental hygiene. Staff plan the environment and a range of interesting activities to help children to build on their prior knowledge and skills. Short, focused large-group activities are planned throughout the session. These support children's growing attention skills effectively.

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

• The experienced manager and staff team work closely together to meet children's needs. Staff's practice is regularly reviewed, and they complete regular training to ensure their knowledge and skills remain up to date. Parental feedback is requested and helps to inform the pre-school's continuous improvement plan. The manager is dedicated to ensuring every child is included and benefits from the quality of experiences provided by the staff team.
• Staff closely monitor children's progress from their starting points. They continue to liaise and share information with parents to ensure children's needs are met and their learning is built on. The constant exchange of information also ensures every child is respected in line with their background and beliefs. Parental feedback is positive. Parents feel their children are well cared for and appreciate the support provided to them.
• Children with SEND are promptly identified. Staff work closely with other professionals, following their guidance when setting targeted support plans for each child. This ensures every child is fully included and integrated into the pre-school. Quality interactions help children to achieve in line with their developmental needs and abilities.
• Children learn to use digital technology. Staff ensure safety protocols are followed and ensure this is closely supervised. However, they do not consistently support children's knowledge and understanding of how to stay safe when accessing technology or being online.
• Staff promote children's interest in books. They have enhanced their book area, where children often enjoy sitting at the table sharing a book with a staff member. During large-group story times, staff read popular stories to children. Staff skilfully encourage children to act out the story and to repeat familiar words and phrases.
• Staff spend a lot of time talking to children, asking questions and discussing what they are doing. Children use imagination as they make 'walkie-talkies' out of interconnecting toys. They enjoy holding simple conversations with staff, saying 'over' at the end of each sentence. However, nursery rhyme music plays throughout most of the session, providing lots of background noise. This does not help children and staff to clearly hear the language being used.
• Children develop their physical skills as they learn to confidently use scissors to cut and pencils to make marks. Staff carefully position children's name cards on the table, enabling them to freely access these when they attempt to write their names. Other children enjoy drawing and making marks. Staff allow children to freely express their creativity, as they understand how these opportunities support children's growing control and coordination.
• Staff encourage parents to provide photos from home depicting the child, their family and any pets. These have been laminated and placed at floor level, so they remain accessible to all children. Children regularly access these photos and enjoy chatting to their friends as they identify who is in the photo. This supports children's social and communication skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider how to support children's growing awareness of how to safely use technology and the internet
• consider how to minimise background noise, for example not having music playing all the time, so that children can more effectively hear the language being used.