Highfield Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at this inclusive pre-school happy and excited for the session ahead. They have close relationships with the adults that care for them. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) enjoy cuddles and gentle one- to-one interactions with their key person. Staff help to raise children's confidence and self-esteem. Children make their own choices about their play. Outside, children tell staff when they want to paint. Staff willingly set up an easel and paint for children to explore their creativity. Children thrive on staff's high expectations of them. When children are unsure of the name of a dinosaur, staff encourage them to ask their friends. Children share their knowledge as they proudly explain the dinosaur is a mixture of several dinosaurs.

Children behave well and show kindness to their friends. They work together to create a bridge for their car track. When one child hands another a car they say, 'thank you'. This contributes to their social skills. Children develop a love of books and stories, which contributes to their literacy skills. They sit down together to listen to a familiar story with a staff member. Children are encouraged to help read the story, they interact together as they finish sentences and join in with great enthusiasm.

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

• The provider is knowledgeable about early years care and education and is passionate about the service she provides. She strives to make the pre-school the best it can be for the children who attend to support their learning and development.
• The provider is highly qualified and this reflects in her strong teaching practice. However, this is not yet consistent across the pre-school. For example, occasionally, other staff do not always fully extend or challenge children who are less confident, or those children who are more able.
• The provider uses additional funding thoughtfully. For example, it is used to pay for a lunchtime session for those children who need it. These additional benefits are helpful, and further support children's social skills.
• Staff know children well and understand how to further their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. Children are each allocated a key person, who talks confidently about their key children's individual characteristics. They confidently explain how they support children's individual learning and identify what they need to learn next.
• The outdoor environment offers good opportunities for safe risk-taking and challenges children's physical skills. For example, children show confidence and developing skills as they ride around the road track on wheeled toys. They negotiate the space, avoid obstacles and adhere to road signs held up by their friends, such as 'stop'. Staff are on hand to provide support to children where required. This includes reminding children to go the correct way around the track to promote their safety.
• Staff promote a positive attitude towards other cultures and backgrounds. Parents comment that the pre-school goes above and beyond to research the different ways they celebrate certain festivals. Staff then introduce these to all children in the pre-school. Children become involved in celebrating festivals with their friends and learn to respect and support each other to feel unique.
• Children are very keen to be introduced to their new school teachers during visits they make to the pre-school. They say, 'I'm very excited, my teacher is here.' The provider talks with teachers about each individual child. These strong links help to promote children's emotional security when the time comes for their move on to school.
• Staff work tirelessly to ensure that children with SEND and those with complex health needs receive the same opportunities as all children. This contributes to the good progress children make and helps them to develop essential skills for the future.
• Parents cannot speak highly enough of the pre-school. They explain how the staff are amazing and not only support their children but them as a family as well. This contributes exceptionally well to the strong parent partnership that reflects the continuity of care between home and the pre-school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to further develop their teaching skills to extend and challenge all children's learning through their play experiences.