High Ham Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted warmly by staff as they arrive, excited and eager to explore the inviting activities. Children have access to an ambitious curriculum, and staff tailor activities that reflect children's interests and promote all areas of learning. For example, children enjoy developing their fine motor skills when pouring coloured sand between various-sized containers, and they use mathematical language such as 'big' and 'more'. As a result, children make good progress from their starting points in their learning and development, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Children have wonderful relationships with staff and feel safe and secure in their environment. Staff are positive role models and have good expectations for all children. They are attentive and respectful to children's needs, and as a result, children listen intently to staff and follow instructions well. Children show a good understanding of the routine when working together to tidy away when they hear the bell for tidy-up time. They are thoughtful and caring towards their friends, and staff support children to manage their own conflicts swiftly. Children are motivated and display positive attitudes towards their learning.

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

• Staff use effective assessment to plan activities that develop children's learning based on their interests and next steps. They comment on what children are doing, introduce new words for children, such as 'woodlice', and ask simple, effective questions. However, although children enjoy the learning activities on offer, staff do not always identify and respond to teaching opportunities to extend children's learning to the highest level.
• Staff know what children can do and what they need to learn next. For example, they challenge children in their literacy development and encourage them to think about rhyming words. Staff give children time to think and suggest words such as 'green' and 'bean'. Children show great pride in their achievements when staff praise them. As a result, children are confident and motivated learners.
• Management closely monitors children's learning and development, enabling any gaps to be swiftly identified. The manager works in partnership with other settings that children attend, ensuring smooth transitions and continuous learning. The manager is proactive in communicating with external agencies, and as a result, children and families receive the support they need in a timely manner.
• Children enjoy using the outside space. Staff retell the 'Bear Hunt' story, and children have fun walking, running and jumping around doing the 'daily mile', supporting their physical health and well-being. Children show curiosity when exploring their natural world. They rummage through leaves to find insects and use recipes to gather ingredients such as shells and pinecones to make mud pies.
• Staff promote healthy eating and oral hygiene well. Children work together and take turns when role-playing dentists. Children enjoy brushing toy teeth and say, 'They have eaten not very good food,' showing that children have a deep understanding of the link between certain foods and oral hygiene.
• The manager works hard to support children, parents and staff. The well-being of everyone is at the forefront of the care provided. Staff express how regular team meetings and ongoing professional development through training and supervision continue to develop their confidence and practice. The manager has created a sense of pre-school community where everyone is welcome and appreciated.
• Parents are extremely positive about the pre-school and their children's experiences. Parents deeply value the staff, and the level of support they receive is excellent. They are kept informed of their children's development through regular updates and conversations with staff. Parents are aware of their children's next steps to support their child's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to identify and respond to teaching opportunities during children's play, to extend their learning to the highest level.