Kiddies Kottage Addiscombe

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily at the pre-school. They quickly become immersed in their play and learning. All children develop secure and trusting bonds with their key person and all staff. Staff know children individually. This helps them to assess and plan accordingly for children's interests and what they need to learn next through topics they enjoy. Children have a positive attitude to their learning. They are eager to join in the activities which are planned for them. For example, children enjoy playing with play dough, and talk about making 'dumplings' like they do at home. Staff respond to children's individual needs, giving them lots of praise and encouragement.

Children's behaviour is good and they play with each other cooperatively. They understand the rules of the setting and remind each other of these. Children form friendships and support those who are quiet or reluctant to join in and understand what is happening next. Children eagerly try new things. They practise their physical skills and coordination. For example, children keenly race each other in ride-on toys, and jump along soft blocks safely in the soft-play area. Children's language is supported well, and those who speak English as an additional language enjoy hearing songs sung in their home language during group times.

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

• The manager and staff team have an ambitious expectation for all children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from a disadvantaged background are supported well. Staff use information gathered from parents and their observations to plan for children's learning from the start. Staff regularly analyse what children already know and identify what they need to learn next. Staff work well with other professionals. All children make progress from their starting points in development.
• Staff know children well, and talk about what children know and can do. They plan activities to incorporate children's interests to challenge their learning further. However, staff do not consistently challenge those children who stay all day at the pre-school during routines and activities.
• Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, have many opportunities to develop their communication and language skills. Staff enable children to hear and repeat words. They introduce new words, such as 'squashy' and 'shiny', to extend children's vocabulary. Children enjoy stories, songs and rhymes, and staff model language well.
• Children learn the skills which they need for the next stage of their learning. Staff help children to leave the setting as confident, independent, resilient and inquisitive individuals. Children are curious and motivated as they fill and empty pots at water play. They eagerly re-enact a familiar story in the garden.
• Overall, staff support children's early mathematical skills, such as introducing counting and recognising shapes. Children keenly count the legs on the spider and choose the shape which they need for a rocket. However, staff do not promote wider mathematical concepts with children.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are happy with the care and education which their children receive. They say that they like the kind and caring staff, and feel supported. Parents benefit from the two-way communication and are happy with suggestions to help their children learn at home.
• The manager monitors the quality of education and care which staff provide for children. Staff routinely observe each other's practice and provide each other with helpful feedback to support their future performance. They regularly evaluate their practice and the pre-school. For instance, staff, along with children and parents, share strengths and improvements to inform the pre-school's action plan.
• Staff make use of regular training. For example, they have recently completed training in behaviour management. As a result of their training, staff comment that they have seen a positive impact. They are more consistent in praising children's positive behaviour and have introduced strategies to support this. This helps children to manage their feelings and begin to self-regulate themselves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enable those children who stay all day to be consistently challenged in their learning during routines and activities
• support staff to strengthen children's mathematical skills further.