Foxton Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Parents and children are greeted warmly by the staff as they arrive in the morning. Children settle quickly. They are provided with activities which engage them, facilitated by staff who know their interests well. Children display strong bonds with staff, and new children quickly build attachments with their designated key person. Staff are on hand to support children's emotional needs. Children explore their emotions through books and role play and use mirrors to reflect on how their face changes when they feel happy and sad. When children become a little upset, staff are quickly on hand to offer reassuring cuddles and provide them with a safe space to express how they feel. As a result, children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure.

Staff act as positive role models and are respectful in their approach. Together, staff and children create pre-school rules. Children's positive behaviour is celebrated, and as a result, children have a good understanding of what is expected of them. On the occasions where children need reminders, staff sensitively explain the reasons behind the rules. As children play in the outdoor area, staff support their understanding of turn-taking as they ride on wheeled toys. Inside, children are encouraged to wait patiently for their turn to roll the pumpkins in the paint. As a result, children are learning social expectations needed for future learning and their behaviour is good.

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

• Leaders are passionate about the pre-school and are committed to providing high-quality care and learning experiences for all children. All staff work as a team effectively and report that they feel fully supported in their role. Staff and managers have regular meetings to discuss the curriculum and the learning environment. They spend time reflecting on their practice and the needs of the children. As a result of this effective collaboration, all children make good progress in their learning.
• Secure key-person systems are in place and staff know the children extremely well. They regularly assess children's progress to identify what they already know and can do. They use information gathered to highlight any emerging gaps in learning and then plan for children's next steps. As a result of thorough assessments, targeted plans are swiftly put in place to support those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that children's needs are fully met.
• Children's communication and language skills are promoted well. Staff immerse themselves in children's play, engaging in meaningful conversations of interest. They narrate children's actions and introduce new vocabulary to extend learning. As children explore autumnal objects, staff encourage them to use descriptive language as they explore how the objects feel. They then compare this to how they feel when dipped in paint. Staff enthusiastically read stories to children as they cuddle up together in cosy areas. During mealtimes, children discuss the vegetables they are eating. Staff support their understanding of where food comes from, and they recall previous experiences of growing carrots. These opportunities support children's growing vocabulary and build on the skills needed to become effective communicators.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to become independent learners. Resources are carefully positioned so that children can access them freely and make choices in their play. Staff encourage children to use the bathroom and wash their hands independently. However, at times, staff are quick to complete simple tasks for children that they could try for themselves, such as pouring their own drinks and wiping their own nose.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the pre-school. Parents share extremely positive feedback about the staff and the provision they provide. They state that from their initial meeting with the team, they have felt welcomed and part of the pre-school community. Coffee mornings with the committee members and staff help parents to feel supported and well informed about their children's care and education. Parents are provided with regular updates on their children's learning and are given support and ideas on how to continue learning at home. They comment that their children have built strong bonds with their key person and that the teaching is personalised to their individual needs and interests.
• Leaders have built strong partnerships with the on-site school. Children are able to order school lunches and see what it is like in the school's dinner hall. They have opportunities to take part in school events, such as sports day and harvest festival. As children approach the end of their time at the pre-school, teaching staff from the school are invited to visit the children and talk about their eventual move. Staff prepare detailed reports to share with teachers. These strong links enable children to transition seamlessly to the next stage in their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to consistently support children with their emerging independence and their self-help skills during everyday routines.