Hartest Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this welcoming and nurturing environment. They develop strong bonds with the staff, who greet them with cuddles and smiles as they arrive. Children are eager to explore and investigate their surroundings. They watch with fascination as the 'moon' dough changes texture in their hands. Younger children squeal as they squeeze it through their fingers. They tell staff, 'it feels soft'. You can hear a buzz of excitement as children play alongside each other. They laugh and giggle as they paint the fence with water using different-sized rollers and paintbrushes.

Children learn from a broad curriculum that reflects their interests and builds upon what they know and can do. For example, children line up guttering and milk crates to make a bridge in the garden. They call out, 'be careful of the water', as they walk along the bridge. Staff support children to problem solve as they assemble soft bricks together. Children tell staff, 'we need a drill to fix them together'.

Children behave well. They develop friendships with their peers and enjoy each other's company. For example, they call out for their friends to chase them in the garden. Older children invite younger children into their play. Staff encourage children to use good manners throughout the day. As a result, children say 'please' and 'thank you' spontaneously.

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

• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is effective in her role. Her support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the pre-school. The SENCo takes prompt action to address identified gaps in children's learning. She works very effectively with parents and external professionals. She uses her good knowledge of local referral procedures to access appropriate support for children. As a result, children make the best possible progress in their learning.
• Children are enthusiastic and active learners. They have lots of opportunities to play, indoors and outdoors. They learn about nature when exploring the garden, such as when they notice a spider's web. Children eagerly discuss with each other that spiders spin webs to catch flies and eat them. They use magnifying glasses to look for slugs and insects and excitedly tell visitors that slugs leave 'slime'. Staff encourage children to compare similarities between a spider and a fly. Children state that spiders do not have wings, so they cannot fly.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on developing children's speech and language skills. They provide a language-rich environment. Staff take every opportunity to chat to children. They narrate children's play and introduce new words to widen their growing vocabulary, such as 'excavator' and 'mould'.
• Staff help children to develop their early mathematical skills. Children regularly use mathematical language in their play. For example, they count from one to 10, and beyond, as they count the plates and cups for snack. They talk about 'more' or 'less' when pouring their drinks. However, staff are not consistent in challenging children's mathematical learning to help them make the best possible progress.
• Staff promote children's early literacy skills, and children develop a love of books. Staff read stories with enthusiasm. They ask questions about the story to encourage the children to use their thinking skills. Children happily sit and share books with their friends. They proudly choose a book to take home from the lending library.
• Children develop very strong independence and self-help skills. Staff provide opportunities for them to prepare healthy snacks. Children pour their drinks and use knives and forks at lunchtime. Staff consistently praise children for their efforts and achievements. This promotes children's motivation, positive self-esteem and confidence in their abilities.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents speak highly about the quality of care and education their children receive. They comment on how happy their children are. Parents state they get regular feedback about their children's development and what they will be learning next. Parents describe staff as 'amazing'.
• The manager is passionate about providing high-quality care and education. She successfully leads a very dedicated staff team, who consistently state that they feel valued and well supported.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to be consistent with challenging children in mathematics so they make the best possible progress.