Grove Preschool Stanway

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and excited to start their day. They are greeted with warmth and kindness by the committed staff, who are happy to see them. Children settle quickly at a chosen activity and demonstrate that they are keen and eager to explore the planned activities provided. The team of staff provides children with a variety of fun experiences that capture their interest and cover all seven areas of learning, both indoors and outdoors. The curriculum is planned around careful observations and assessments of the children's developing needs. Staff plan in the moment and follow children's interests, which influences the activities provided but also introduces seasonal themes. For example, children learn about the circus and carnival. They decorate balloons and shakers and use these to join in the singing and celebrations.

There is a strong emphasis on supporting children to develop the skills they need to be independent learners. The effective key-person approach ensures that children form secure attachments and settle well. Time is taken to get to know the child and their family and staff speak knowledgeably of all the children attending. Staff are positive role models to the children, which supports children to develop kindness and empathy. The team has high expectations and praise children for making positive choices, such as when they play well together and help to tidy up. Children understand the expectations and their behaviour is good.

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

• The quality of teaching is good. All children, including those who need additional support, make good progress from their starting points.
• Children demonstrate that they are confident communicators. They happily engage in conversation with visitors to the setting. For example, they carefully choose outfits from the dress up box and proudly twirl in their dresses, explaining they are going to a birthday party and that there will be birthday cake.
• While children are offered a broad curriculum where there is a strong focus on supporting their personal and emotional development and promoting the skills needed to be independent learners, it is not consistently challenging. Therefore, sometimes, staff do not best support the most able children to build on what they already know, and extend their knowledge to an even higher level.
• Children understand the importance of keeping safe and healthy. They know to wash their hands before eating and when they first arrive at pre-school. They are fully supported to take care of their own personal needs. They talk about the need for sun cream and hats when it is hot and the importance of drinking water to keep hydrated.
• Children enjoy the fresh air and space to run outdoors. They engage in planned activities in the garden. For example, they learn about cause and effect as they excitedly explore what happens to ice in water play. They show amazement at how quickly it melts. They have a wide vocabulary and tell staff it is because the sun is so hot and that it is 'incredible' how it disappears.
• Children have many opportunities to practise early writing skills. For example, hand muscles are strengthened in preparation for pencil control as they manipulate dough. Children use tweezers and tongs in their play to develop their fine motor skills. They access writing materials and concentrate as they make tickets to visit the circus and cinema.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school and staff. They comment that communication is very good and they feel fully informed and involved in their children's learning. They say the staff are welcoming and friendly and that they are reassured their children are in safe hands.
• The staff work effectively as a team. The session runs seamlessly. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities and say they feel valued. They welcome opportunities to support their own continuous professional development, such as training opportunities, as they understand this has a positive impact on outcomes for children.
• Children access resources and books that reflect similarities and differences. As part of the pre-school ethos, they learn to respect one another. The curriculum provides opportunities for children to learn about different cultures. However, there are fewer opportunities and experiences within the curriculum to support children's knowledge about, and make sense of, the world around them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more opportunities within the curriculum to challenge children's thinking to consistently build on what they already know and can do
• provide more opportunities within the curriculum for children to learn and understand the wider world and community in which they live.