Garras Owlets Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children gladly attend this beautifully planned pre-school. They settle quickly as adults greet them warmly and sensitively. Children make excellent and rapid progress as the curriculum is incredibly well sequenced. It is ambitious for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, three- and four-year-old children create bugs with clay and collage pieces. They discuss whether the bugs have wings or not and with encouragement, they successfully snip wings onto their bugs. Children accurately count out and insert the right number of legs onto their bugs. They are very proud of their creations.

Children concentrate for long periods of time with activities. This is because there is an extremely calm atmosphere and adults expertly support children to develop a can-do attitude. Children persevere with challenges and succeed independently, as adults offer questions and open-ended solutions. For example, four-year-olds are climbing on a wooden structure. They want to move to another area and ask for an adult to lift them. The adult asks them how they think they might get there themselves. The children work it out independently and achieve their goal with elation. Children are extremely well behaved. They are polite and respectful towards each other and adults. They know what to expect and what is expected of them as adults work collaboratively to offer a consistent routine.

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

• Children develop excellent communication and language skills. Adults have high expectations for all children. Adults brilliantly model a wide range of vocabulary to extend their knowledge. They ask children lots of questions that encourage them to think for themselves and solve problems. Mathematics is threaded expertly throughout the routine and activities. For example, children throw giant fir cones on a grassed area. They compare which fir cone has travelled the furthest. They use language for measuring and comparing. Children count how many of them are attending and write the number on the register board.
• Highly qualified staff take time to really get to know each child. They conduct home visits and meaningful settling-in visits. They use this knowledge to expertly plan activities, so all children reach their maximum potential. The activities closely follow children's interests as well as offering challenge. Children become very confident and secure, as they realise what they know and can achieve. Children proudly share facts they have learned about insects and bugs.
• Children develop independence and a deep understanding of how to look after themselves. They look out of the window to decide if it is raining, and if they need waterproofs and wellington boots. They get themselves ready for outside play, asking politely for help from adults, if necessary. Children talk about how the rain is important for their plants and vegetables growing in the garden. Children fetch their own drinks and clear up after snack. They help to thoroughly clean tables ready for mealtimes. They work collaboratively to do this.
• The adults ensure that the pre-school is very inclusive of other nationalities and cultures. Children learn about these through innovative activities and support from adults. Children use translation pens to hear stories in different languages and they press buttons on 'talk stars' to hear words in these languages. Children who speak other languages share songs and stories with all the other children. Parents and visitors from different countries visit the pre-school. They share food and songs from their country and talk to the children about where their country is in the world.
• All the adults have excellent partnerships with parents. Communication between them is extremely effective. Parents know where their child is developmentally and their next steps. Parents of children with SEND have regular meetings with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). They collectively agree targets and plans together. The children make exceptional progress because of the high levels of support they receive.
• The manager is extremely reflective and constantly strives to improve the quality of outcomes for all the children. She organises regular staff and supervision meetings to encourage all adults to improve their practice. Adults are highly motivated to develop and learn, and attend regular training. They readily adapt practice and the environment to support every cohort of children very effectively.