Jack And Jill Community Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders of this inspiring pre-school have a strong vision and a clear ethos of children learning through love and nurture. Staff share and understand this vision and embed a rich curriculum that is well sequenced. Children develop the skills they need for future learning from a young age. For example, staff support new children to develop their independence when introducing them to serving their own snack. Older children show how these skills become embedded as they confidently pour their own cereals and drinks, washing up their bowls when they have finished. Staff carefully plan the environment to enable children to have the freedom to explore safely, sparking their curiosity. Children relish being in their creative shed, which they named the 'happy space'. They develop their fine motor skills when staff hold up pieces of tape and children use scissors to repeatedly cut it. Staff praise children and say, 'You are amazing.' Younger children explore their sensory needs as they dig and investigate in the mud. Children splash in puddles in the rain, and staff support children's language as they say, 'Wow, a big puddle! Splash, splash!' Children make excellent progress in their learning and development.

Children benefit from highly trained staff who strive for the very best level of care. Through calmness, kindness and building connections with children, staff teach them about the rules and expectations in a calm, positive manner. Children's behaviour is excellent. Leaders, staff and parents work together to create a 'family board' for children, prompting discussions about their families. Children feel valued, safe and secure from the start.

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

• Staff have secure knowledge of child development and know children well. This helps them to provide challenging activities for children to extend their knowledge and skill set. Children sustain high levels of concentration as they carefully place small wooden eggs into the egg holder. Staff use skilful questioning, such as asking, 'How many more eggs do we need?' Children pause, think and say, 'One, two, three, four. We need four'. Children develop good critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Staff use home visits to gather detailed information about children, their families and backgrounds, forming robust starting points for children. They send starter packs containing small wooden 'mini me' blocks with children's photos and names on. Children bring these when they start and use them as their registration blocks, supporting children's smooth transitions into pre-school.
• Leaders place a great emphasis on supporting children's speech and language. They record weekly bedtime stories for parents to share with children at home, helping children to develop a love of literacy. Staff consistently narrate what they are doing and introduce new vocabulary, such as 'crackle, crackle, pop, pop', as children explore bubble wrap. Children are confident communicators.
• Staff help children to develop a strong awareness of healthy lifestyles. They grow fruit and vegetables with the children, and the children know they need to wash their hands before eating. Staff implement a long-term 'wellness' project, helping children to develop healthy minds and bodies. Children acquire resilience and learn how to keep themselves safe.
• Staff use effective observation and assessment to identify gaps in children's learning and swiftly put support in place. Leaders have recently created an additional area for small-group work and quieter activities to target specific areas of learning. For example, staff introduce a six-week programme to support children's social development, including empathy, cooperation and sharing. Children are ready for their next stage of learning.
• Children show a good understanding of their own emotions and make use of quieter areas when they feel they need to be calm. For example, children take themselves into the pod, and staff begin to use puppets to engage with them. Children laugh and cuddle the puppet. Staff ask, 'Do you feel better after a cuddle with the puppet?' The children say 'Yes.' Staff successfully prioritise children's well-being and emotional growth through the pre-school's nurturing approach.
• Highly dedicated leaders offer staff consistent professional development opportunities and mentoring, and they designate key responsibilities. This empowers staff to use their strengths and knowledge to enhance the pre-school. For example, the creative lead has recently renovated the shed, and it is now a wonderful creative space for children to develop their creative skills and express themselves through art.
• Partnerships with parents are a real strength of the setting. Staff provide bespoke packs to parents. For example, packs containing the recipe and ingredients to make dough, support children's learning at home. Parents value the weekly photos and regular updates on their children's development.