Kiln Hill Pre-School Ltd.

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

A key strength of this welcoming and inviting setting is the relationships that children and families build with the nurturing and supportive staff team. Children settle quickly and build strong friendships with one another. For instance, on arrival, children's friends rush to greet them and wrap them up in a big hug. Staff value children's ideas and interests and follow children's lead in their play. The manager demonstrates an excellent understanding of how children learn. She works with staff to plan and design a programme of activities that help children develop the essential skills needed for future learning. This includes identifying support arrangements and resources for children in receipt of additional funding. Staff place a strong emphasis on promoting children's independence and social skills. Children show that they quickly develop an understanding of the setting's routine. For example, they find their name tag when they arrive and add their name to the self-registration board.

Interactions between staff and children are strong and, on occasion, are outstanding. Children consistently behave well. Staff support children to understand their emotions through discussions at story and circle time. They help children to recall times when they might have felt different emotions such as scared, calm or happy.

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

• The setting is a key part of the local community. Children benefit from visitors to the setting from local businesses and emergency response services, such as the police. Staff talk to children about communities, cultures and traditions that are different to their own. This helps to expand children's awareness and understanding of the world around them.
• Children laugh as they participate in physical play games such as moving their bodies to keep balloons floating in the air. They count how many times they can hit the balloon before it falls to the ground. Furthermore, staff encourage children to develop an understanding of volume and capacity during sand play games. Children make comparisons between the weight and size of their filled buckets. This helps to develop children's mathematical awareness.
• There are supervision arrangements in place for all staff, along with regular coaching, mentoring and role modelling. Staff comment that their well-being is given a high focus and that they feel supported and valued in their role. The manager has a good overview of the setting and can identify and address emerging weaknesses in practice. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the safeguarding policies and procedures at the setting. They highlight useful training which has helped them to manage difficult conversations with sensitivity and understanding. Staff are alert to the possible indicators of abuse and understand the whistleblowing procedures at the setting.
• Partnership working with parents is strong. Parents comment on the excellent care and support staff provide for their children and families. They are invited to stay and play sessions at the setting. Leaders send regular newsletters home. Parents are invited to take resources home to share with their children. Staff promote key messages for parents concerning healthy eating, good oral health and internet safety. Parents comment that staff are friendly and caring. They thank staff for supporting them sensitively through signposting to other agencies when their children require additional support.
• Staff place a strong focus on enhancing children's communication and language skills. They use focus story books to build on children's ability to join in with repeated rhymes and phrases. Children eagerly join in with reciting stories that are familiar to them. However, staff do not refine the sequence of children's learning to help consolidate their previous knowledge and skills.
• The special educational needs coordinator works closely with staff, parents and professionals to help provide a consistent approach to children's learning and development. This includes regular review meetings, assessments and strategies to help children prepare for what they need to learn next. Staff receive specific training from professionals regarding administrating medication. This helps to meet children's individual needs.
• Children show that they understand the importance of good health and hygiene. They independently access tissues to blow their nose and wash their hands before mealtimes. Children offer to help one another turn on the tap and remind each other to make sure their hands are clean.
• Children engage well in activities on offer. However, at times, children are unable to join in readily with some routine tasks. For instance, there are some limitations to the space and resources available, such as accessing resources to extend their learning during free choice activities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• refine the sequence of children's learning to help to build on their previous knowledge and skills further
• ensure all children are able to join in readily with routine tasks to help to extend their learning, particularly during free choice activities.