Highampton Area Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are confident and happy in this pre-school. They have access to a broad curriculum that enables them to access a wide variety of activities and learning opportunities. The thoughtful arrangement of the learning space encourages children to engage. Children enter the nursery, happily say goodbye to their parents and find their friends. They quickly find a game or activity they want to play with and concentrate well. For example, older children run over to the basketball hoop and enjoy throwing balls to each other and into the hoop. They play and cooperate well, sharing and taking turns.

Children have time and space to choose what they would like to do next. Staff support children who are struggling to find an activity, but most children securely move from one activity to another with enthusiasm. They concentrate well. For example, children investigate and play with an insect activity for a considerable length of time. They explore toy insects like caterpillars, butterflies and slugs. They discover the types of tracks different insects make in the sand of an activity tray. They discuss with staff why the tracks are different and also talk about the different types of insects. Children name colours and find which insect is bigger or smaller.

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

• Leaders and managers have a clear and ambitious vision to provide high-quality, inclusive education for all. They have created a good system of shared values, policies and practice. Staff feel well supported in their roles and work together as an effective team. However, at times, managers do not place enough focus on identifying staff's ongoing training needs, to help children make even better progress in their learning and development.
• Leaders and managers act with integrity to make sure that all children have full access to their entitlement to early education. They ensure that the management of funding is effective and efficient. For example, when required, they buy toys and games to support children's specific needs, such as developing confidence with numbers, or toys to help children learn outdoors more successfully. Those with oversight understand their role and carry this out effectively.
• Managers have created an ambitious curriculum designed to give children, particularly the most disadvantaged, the knowledge they need to succeed in life. Staff hold meaningful conversations with children and give them time to think and respond to open questions. They support children to become confident communicators. Children have access to lots of board games, which they enjoy playing in small groups. Staff support children to share and problem solve. They enable children to explore technology with a variety of toys, including toy computers, keyboards, electronic games and a tablet. Children access child-appropriate activities on the tablet. They enjoy learning songs and practising mathematics on this device. Staff support families to help children be safe when they are using technology and the internet.
• Staff guide children to learn about nature and animals. They create exciting, well-sequenced activities. For example, children learn about the life cycle of a frog with songs, jigsaws, toys, books and a tank with frogspawn. Children sing: 'Hello, said the little green frog', and older children confidently explain that tadpoles grow legs and become frogs. They link one activity to another and are able to recall what they know and can do.
• Parents are confident and happy about the care and education children receive. They recommend the pre-school to others. They are positive about the regular feedback, the termly reports and the activities children do. Parents report children make good progress in their learning and development. They describe how children love coming to the pre-school and the strong relationships staff foster with children.
• Staff support children to securely understand early mathematical concepts appropriate to their age and stage of development. They embed mathematics into the daily routine. For example, before 'song time', children line up. They estimate how many children are in the line, and staff support them to count the actual total. Children confidently and eagerly join in. Older children count to 16. Staff support children to recognise number symbols.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff training further to improve the quality of education even more and support children to make even better progress.