Jack in the Box at Brockswood

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are wonderfully happy and thriving at this awe-inspiring community pre-school. As soon as they arrive, they start their day with great enthusiasm. The impressive curriculum provides children with rich opportunities and experiences that develop their knowledge and skills. For example, they learn about the role of doctors and nurses in the 'clinic' as they take care of their 'patients'.

Staff have a deep knowledge of all children. This enables them to provide ambitious learning experiences. For example, at the cutting station, children of various abilities enjoy cutting, snipping, tearing or scrunching paper. Outside, children transport water from large containers into watering cans and water their recently planted garden. They remember that water will help the plants to grow.

Children demonstrate highly positive attitudes to their play and learning. They engage in deep and meaningful play. For example, in the 'ice-cream parlour', they enjoy real-world experiences as they scoop scented dough into cones and add sprinkles. Children demonstrate and describe how they can stretch, twist, squash and pinch the dough to create their ice cream. They say that their favourite flavour is strawberry because it is 'sweet', but they do not like the lemon as it tastes 'sour'.

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

• Children benefit from language-rich environments. Highly effective training and assessment mean that children make the best possible progress with language. For example, every activity is supported by key words. When children use new words such as 'escalator' and 'slither', staff celebrate this with parents and add the word to the 'tree of wonderful words'.
• Children enjoy bucket time. They learn words such as 'fluttering' and 'twist' as they watch a paper butterfly. During an interactive story time, children experience snapping twigs and sticky mud as they 'go on a bear hunt'.
• The curriculum is ambitious for all children. Learning experiences consider children's knowledge, next steps, interests and learning styles. As a result, children receive high quality teaching that contributes to their expanding skills and knowledge. For example, older children search for letter pebbles in a sensory substance and match them to letter mats. Younger children explore the texture as they search for shells and pebbles.
• Children are becoming expert mathematicians. For example, providing children with large numbered cards, staff ask them to arrange themselves in a line in correct numerical order. Children fill and empty containers with sand. They find matching labels with pictures and words showing 'full' and 'empty'. Staff refer to this as 'sticky knowledge' because the knowledge has 'stuck'.
• Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff apply a consistent approach to the language and actions used to support children. They use phrases such as 'I can see you are feeling sad' and are positive role models. This encourages children to make positive choices about their behaviour. For example, when children argue over a toy, staff support them to identify how they feel and remind children of the expected behaviours.
• Staff are highly motivated and driven to make a difference. They attend regular training to develop their skills and knowledge. The manager empowers her team to lead their personal development. Through regular observation and high-quality supervision, staff identify areas of development. This results in consistent and exceptional teaching.
• Children have a superb understanding of healthy lifestyles. They identify healthy foods such as oranges and carrots. They enjoy healthy snacks and grow fruits and vegetables in the garden. Staff provide a challenge of the month to encourage parents to become involved, for example, by swapping juice for water in children's bottles.
• The exceptional manager strives to give every child the best start in life. She has an excellent understanding of the community she serves. Staff have high aspirations for all children, including children in receipt of funding and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Any gaps in children's learning and development are closing rapidly.
• Parents say that they are delighted with the progress their children make, especially with communication and language. Parents express their gratitude for such a wonderful staff team and say that they 'go above and beyond' to support the entire family.