Girton Cottontails Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this nurturing pre-school. Staff provide a calm, supportive environment, where children gain confidence, independence, a sense of self and of community. Children know precisely what is expected of them. Staff provide consistent, sensitive reminders that help them learn to consider the needs and rights of their friends. Children learn about their feelings and how to express them. Staff help children learn to share and take turns from the very start. They recognise that this is a new skill for the youngest children and, over time, equip them with the skills to negotiate and build compassion and understanding for each other. Peer friendships bloom as children seek each other out to share their imaginative play, help each other and reassure children who are feeling sad.

All children receive consistently high-quality engagement and interaction with staff that help them make progress in their learning and development. Staff know children incredibly well. They expertly adapt and tailor their practice to support each child at their individual level of development. Children demonstrate that they build high levels of self-esteem. They show their sense of achievement as they recognise their own progress in learning, from putting on their shoes independently to throwing and catching a ball.

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

• Leaders are highly qualified and very experienced. They have children's interests at the heart of all they do. Leaders have established an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that helps children to gain the skills they need for life and the next stage in their education. They share the curriculum, including specific detail of the sequence of components for each curriculum aim, with staff and parents. This ensures each child is superbly supported on their individual learning journey, to build on what they know and can do over time.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the pre-school. They state that they are well informed about their child's day and how to support their ongoing learning at home. They say that their children thoroughly enjoy coming to pre-school. Parents say they are confident that their children are safe, and their needs are well met. They notice the progress their children make, such as building increasing self-confidence, independence and communication skills.
• Staff are highly focused on the pre-school's ethos to protect children from harm. Staff teach children a range of strategies that help them learn how to keep themselves safe. With parental consent, older children learn about their bodies, what is private and who a trusted adult is, so they know who to talk to if they are worried. Staff encourage children to make choices and ensure their voice is heard. They are attentive to children's needs and consistently seek their consent to help with nappy changes or wiping noses.
• Leaders and staff work incredibly well together and form a close-knit team. They are highly reflective practitioners, who strive to improve their practice and inspire children's learning. Staff say that they feel very well supported to fulfil their roles. They add that they feel valued and are encouraged to seek training that helps to improve children's learning experiences, such as the addition of forest school activities. Staff comment on the significant progress they see in children's self-confidence and motivation to try new things as a result of engaging in forest school sessions.
• Children hear a vast range of words as they talk to staff, listen to stories attentively and join in with songs and rhymes. Staff enunciate words with clarity and provide children with explanations that help them to understand and clearly articulate their ideas, thoughts and needs.
• Children build high levels of attention. They listen to instructions from staff, such as when they complete puzzles. Staff weave mathematical language naturally when talking to children, such as how to position puzzle pieces. They encourage children to think and try out their ideas.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children in receipt of additional funding are exceptionally well supported. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to identify where the additional support will help the individual child, with a focus on supporting children's development in the prime areas of learning.