Hopscotch Corner

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Hopscotch Corner is a pre-school and out-of-school club that is at the heart of the local community and highly valued by families. Children develop a strong sense of community. They enjoy writing shopping lists and visits to the local shops with staff to buy ingredients for baking. Children learn about others who are less fortunate than themselves. They collect food for the local food bank and help to raise funds for the local hospice. Children are happy and settled in this welcoming, homely and inclusive setting.

Staff ensure that children enjoy plenty of time to explore and develop their ideas. Overall, they have high expectations of children. Children are active and enthusiastic learners. They count accurately as they line wooden bricks on the wall with equal space between them. Children gently tap the bricks and delight in watching them fall down. They talk excitedly about knocking them down 'like dominoes'. Children show good concentration and resilience and persist until they succeed.

Children feel safe and learn how to keep themselves safe during outings. They follow instructions, develop safety awareness and confidently state, 'stop, look and listen', before crossing the road. Older children help younger children to build detailed models. All children show kindness to others, are happy to share and take turns. They are polite and display good manners. Children's behaviour is excellent.

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

• Staff focus strongly on supporting children's language skills. They encourage children to talk during group time. Children delight in standing in front of their friends to tell them about the interesting items they have brought from home. They talk fluently about the striped cat toy they won for knocking down the skittles when bowling, the swimming certificate they received for good swimming and the spotty dog with round eyes. Children listen attentively.
• Children learn about the importance of developing healthy lifestyles. They are physically active and develop balance, coordination and body control. Children thoroughly enjoy visits to the local woods with staff. They are curious as they explore nature. However, staff do not consistently build on children's existing understanding to extend their knowledge further.
• Staff promote children's literacy skills well. They read stories expressively, adapt their voice to help focus children's listening and leave gaps for children to join in. Children thoroughly enjoy stories such as 'The Gruffalo' and 'The Gruffalo's Child'. They enjoy making characters using sticks and string, which they use to act out the stories. Children develop impressive memory skills as they recall familiar stories.
• Staff are dedicated to meeting children's individual needs. They are swift to identify any developmental concerns in children. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to provide a shared approach to children's learning. Leaders put clear strategies in place to ensure that children with medical needs are well supported and kept safe. Staff are trained to care for children's specific medical needs. Children's dietary requirements are catered for especially well.
• Children are highly independent and manage their self-help skills incredibly well. They put on their own boots, hats and waterproof suits when getting ready to go on outings to the woods. They show persistence in trying to fasten the zips on their clothing. Staff provide just the right amount of support to help children succeed. Children also pour their own water from jugs throughout the day and serve their own food from dishes at lunchtime.
• Parents speak very positively about the pre-school and out-of-school club. They value the regular outings that their children experience. Parent are kept informed about their children's learning and development through discussions at the start and end of the day, through online learning journals and through monthly written reports. Parents comment that 'staff are kind, very nurturing and genuinely care about the children and their well-being.'
• Leaders enrich children's understanding of people who work in the community. They invite midwives, fire officers, dentists and police officers to help children to understand their roles. Children know what happens at the dentist, why caring for teeth is important, the impact that sugar has on their teeth and how to clean their teeth. Partnerships with the local schools are very strong.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen teaching to build on children's existing knowledge and learning further, particularly in their understanding of the world.