Hopscotch Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy and settled. Babies enjoy a nurturing environment in which they form loving attachments with staff. Children of all ages benefit from safe and secure play areas in which they choose and lead their own play freely. They form close and trusting relationships with the dedicated staff who take care to get to know their individual needs and routines to meet these consistently.

Staff's management of children's behaviour is exemplary. They provide clear expectations, very good example and manage issues consistently and calmly. Staff provide resources to support children's individual challenges, such as introducing picture prompts to help them manage time and change. Children behave very well and develop good social skills.

Staff provide a broad and interesting curriculum to help all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress. This includes enriching activities to extend children's experiences, such as forest-school sessions, especially for those who otherwise have limited access to outdoor play. Younger children cuddle up to read books with staff and investigate activity toys. Older children play with many materials to create and use their imaginations, such as making pretend food in the mud kitchens and role-play areas.

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

• The quality of teaching is good. Staff adapt activities to meet children's developmental needs and provide challenges to build on their learning, such as teaching children about quantity and size to enhance their mathematical knowledge. Staff help children to gain self-confidence, independence and the skills they need to support their move to school.
• Staff monitor and assess children's progress well from the start in partnership with parents. They know the children well. They are clear on what they intend them to learn next and plan activities linked to children's interests to support their progress in these areas.
• Staff encourage children's communication and language skills well overall. For example, they respond to babies' babbles, model language clearly with toddlers and instigate discussions with older children. They help children to learn new words to build their vocabulary. However, on occasion, staff do not allow children time or opportunity to think and answer their questions.
• Children are curious and interested to learn. For example, babies enjoy exploring sensory toys and materials. Older children enjoy retelling stories and finding numbers in the natural environment. All children develop good physical skills. Toddlers and older children ride wheeled toys outside, run, climb and use tools to create and develop their hand muscles. Babies develop their walking skills safely in their play spaces.
• The provision for children with SEND is excellent. The special educational needs coordinator and staff all work closely with parents and other professionals to include and meet each child's individual needs and enable them to make the progress they are capable of. This includes helping parents to obtain additional support and funding for their children, and staff undertaking specific training to meet children's medical and learning needs.
• Staff maintain clean environments for children. They encourage healthy eating and teach children the importance of good dental care to support healthy lifestyles. However, on occasion, staff do not support all aspects of children's personal hygiene well. When children have colds, staff do not clean them consistently, and do not help older children to learn how to manage this hygienically for themselves.
• Parents share very positive views of the setting. They state there is an ethos of support running through the setting. Staff always have a can-do attitude and go above and beyond to support children, who thrive in their care.
• The strong and efficient management team provides staff with very close support to assure their well-being. They monitor the quality of the provision effectively and involve staff and parents in making ongoing improvements. For example, children benefit from a new sensory room to meet their emotional needs, and new touch pads to support their technology skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide time for children to respond to questions to support their thinking and communication even further
• improve staff practice further to help children learn how to manage all aspects of their personal hygiene consistently well.