Harefield Community Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this warm and inclusive pre-school. Staff create an environment that is inviting and captures children's interests from the moment they arrive. For example, fun and enthusiastic staff encourage children to participate in physical activities to wake up their bodies and minds. Children joyfully move in a range of ways, such as stretching up high, shaking their arms and jumping up and down, before engaging in breathing exercises to calm and relax. This helps children to release their energy and be ready to learn. Staff are excellent role models, teaching children how to express their emotions and the importance of mutual respect. Children behave extremely well and play harmoniously with their friends, sharing resources and taking turns.

Staff plan a broad curriculum that supports children's interests. They consider topics to run alongside the activities they provide. For example, children enjoy learning about safety and people who help us. They recall important facts about 'stranger danger' and know what to do in emergency situations. These opportunities support children's growing understanding of keeping themselves safe. Staff know all children well, including their individual needs and their different learning styles. This supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make good progress from their starting points.

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

• The management team are committed and passionate about providing high-quality care and education for all children. For example, they organise regular team meetings to involve staff in the planning and priorities for the curriculum. This means that staff have a clear understanding of how to enhance and extend children's learning. Staff carry out regular observations and assessments of children and know what they want them to learn next. As a result, the quality of teaching is strong, and children make the progress they are capable of.
• The support for children with SEND is very strong. Staff work in close partnership with parents and other professionals to put targeted support in place at the earliest opportunity. Staff are consistent in ensuring that each child's individual needs are considered in the organisation of routines and activities. Additional funding is used wisely for intended children to meet their individual needs and prepare them for future learning.
• The management team are dedicated to support staff's well-being and continued professional development. For example, they carry out regular and effective supervision sessions, with a focus on continuous improvement and training opportunities. Staff are extremely dedicated in their roles and feel well supported. This creates a very happy and positive environment, in which children flourish.
• Staff support children's speech and communication skills exceptionally well. For example, they engage in back-and-forth conversations with children as they play, providing rich and descriptive language. In addition, staff use many different communication strategies alongside speech, such as visual aids and basic sign language. This helps to ensure every child has a voice and supports all children to become confident communicators.
• Staff support children to develop their independence through daily routines, such as tidying away their toys, washing their hands before mealtimes and pouring their own drinks. Overall, transitions between activities run smoothly. However, the lunchtime routine is not as well organised. For example, staff are sometimes busy with other tasks, such as tidying away and setting up activities. This means that, during these times, staff are not able to give children the level of attention they need.
• Staff very successfully support children to develop a love of books. For example, they read books to children throughout the day, pausing and discussing what they see. Children share their impressive knowledge as they discuss that the illustrator draws the pictures, and the author writes the words. Staff skilfully extend children's interests in books by encouraging them to recall the stories they know, as they draw with chalks.
• Overall, partnerships with parents are good. Parents report positively about the progress their children make and praise the 'amazing' staff team. Staff keep parents updated about their child's day and what they have been doing, through daily discussions and on an online platform. However, not all parents are aware of their children's next steps in learning. This means that they are not able to continue their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further the lunchtime transitions to ensure that routines are well structured and consistently meet the needs of all children
• build on partnerships with parents to share children's next steps in learning, to support them to continue their children's learning at home.