Findon Village Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive full of happiness and enthusiasm to start their day. Caring staff spend time listening to parents. They ensure children's individual needs are met, which helps them settle quickly. Children know the daily routine well. For instance, they independently put their belongings away and have a go at finding their name for self-registration. This helps children to feel safe, secure and have a sense of belonging.

Staff plan a range of activities and experiences that spark children's interests. For example, children enjoy mixing different colours of water to make 'potions'. They explore and smell other ingredients, such as lavender. Staff challenge children's learning and ask questions to check their understanding. For instance, they ask which colours they used to change the overall colour. Staff skilfully adapt activities to take account of the age and abilities of the children taking part. This supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to make good progress.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and are good role models. They support children to be kind and respectful to others by following the 'golden rules', which children understand. This helps children to play cooperatively, share and take turns with resources.

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

• The manager and staff have worked tirelessly to meet all actions raised at the last inspection. For example, all staff, including the designated safeguarding lead, have completed safeguarding training. They now have a secure understanding of any signs that a child may be at risk of harm. The manager keeps staff up to date with any new information from the local safeguarding partnership and monitors their understanding frequently. In addition, staff ensure all children are consistently supervised, particularly at mealtimes.
• The manager has devised a new way for staff to plan for children's next steps in learning, which staff are familiar with. However, this is still in its infancy and some planning is not as precise as it could be. For example, staff focus on too many learning intentions at one time. Therefore, they do not always provide specific support for children's individual learning.
• There have been some recent changes to the staff team. The manager and the committee support new staff effectively. For example, they have thorough inductions, probation and supervision sessions. The manager works closely with her team to improve the quality of education. For example, she uses observations to evaluate staff's practice. This has significantly enhanced the quality of teaching.
• The knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) supports children with SEND well. She puts targeted support plans in place straight away, which she shares with staff. The SENCo works closely with parents and other professionals. This helps to ensure there is a consistent approach. The SENCo uses additional funding to support and meet the needs of intended children. This means children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff manage daily routines well, most of the time. For example, they encourage children to tidy up and wash their hands before mealtimes. Staff help children learn to open packets of food from their lunch boxes. This helps children to develop their independent skills in preparation for school. However, on occasion, children that struggle with changes to routine, do not get enough support from staff. This leads to them becoming restless and unsettled.
• Children enjoy plenty of opportunities to develop their physical skills. They develop their core strength as they walk along balancing beams and play ball games. Staff support children to develop their small hand muscles. For example, younger children make lines and circles with paint. Older children use their thumb and fingers to squeeze water out of pipettes. This helps children build the strength in their hands and fingers to support their early writing skills.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They model language and teach children new words as they play. Staff listen to children and give them time to think and respond to questions. Children are confident to express their views and ask questions to further their knowledge. This helps them to become confident communicators.
• Partnership with parents is effective. Staff communicate with parents and keep them up to date with their children's care and progress. Parents are invited to regular parent meetings and family fun days. Staff work with local schools and parents to ensure that children's transitions will be successful.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop further the implementation of the new curriculum, to plan for precise next steps in children's learning
• manage daily routines to ensure children's individual needs continue to be met at all times.