Hellesdon Community Pre school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families are greeted with genuine warmth as they arrive at this very well-resourced pre-school. They are happy to start their day and eager to engage in the wide range of activities on offer. Children swiftly become deeply involved in their self-directed learning. Staff encourage them to continue to explore their fascinations over time. For example, when children discover that they can make paint from chalk, staff incorporate this into the art activities and help children to extend their investigations. Children grow in confidence as their explorations are valued and their discoveries celebrated. They follow the kind and collaborative example set by staff and swiftly learn to take turns and play together harmoniously.

The provider ensures that all staff appreciate the power of parental involvement in children's learning. Parent partnerships are carefully nurtured as staff diligently seek and implement ways to fully involve families in their children's learning. They provide parents with knowledge and understanding about how what they do at home can teach children life-long skills. They implement a curriculum that harnesses children's individual experiences and understanding. When children need additional support in their learning, the provider works collaboratively to implement plans that ensure that all children make sustained progress.

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

• The provider creates an atmosphere where staff grow in confidence and their sense of well-being is high. The provider encourages and values continuous professional development and celebrates staff achievements. Staff undertake training that increases their understanding about how best to support children in their care. The whole staff team shares learning from training and networking and they plan, discuss and evaluate improvements together. Consequently, all staff are motivated and have a good understanding of the curriculum intentions.
• Staff make regular assessments of children's progress. They use methods, such as home visits and detailed discussions with families, to understand children's starting points. When children are in receipt of additional funding, staff fully involve families in deciding how best to allocate such funding and in assessing the impact. When children attend other settings, the provider reaches out to these to ensure a joined-up approach to children's learning and development.
• Staff listen to children carefully and speak clearly. They deliberately introduce new vocabulary to children linked to the activities they plan. Staff encourage children to remember previous activities and share what they do at home, such as through the happy and communal mealtimes. Children hear rhymes and stories regularly, including number rhymes. These support their understanding of number sequences and introduce them to mathematical concepts such as one more or one less. Children speak to staff, their friends and visitors happily and demonstrate a confidence in their communication skills.
• Staff are genuinely interested in children's thoughts and ideas about their play and exploration. However, occasionally, they offer their own opinions and ideas before testing out what children already know. For example, they do not consistently check children's current understanding of how to manage their own risks. This means that they miss opportunities to sequence children's learning fully.
• Staff explore and celebrate children's backgrounds and cultures. Families share important features, such as languages and food, as they are welcomed wholeheartedly into the pre-school. Where children speak English as an additional language, staff ensure that their own speaking and listening is clear and focused on teaching children key vocabulary. When children are slower to develop verbal communication, staff use visual cues and ensure that all children are able to communicate their needs.
• The provider has recently reduced the age range of children who are able to attend and has worked hard to meet the needs of these younger children. They ensure that staff employ effective strategies to keep all children safe, happy and well. However, sometimes staff deployment means that children do not always receive assistance to help learn the routines of the day as swiftly as possible.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff teaching skills in order to provide children with more opportunities to share what they know and how they can manage their own risks
• review the deployment of staff so that children swiftly receive the support they need to become familiar with the routines of the pre-school.