La Petite Ecole Bilingue Cambridge Gardens

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely settled and confident in this small, warm and welcoming setting. They arrive happily and immediately engage in play, exploration and learning. They benefit from a wide range of exciting and stimulating activities that the staff provide. For example, they trace around lollipop sticks glued to paper as part of a pre-writing exercise. Outside, children hang upside down from straps in a tree and count toy ducks in a water tray as they recall and sing familiar songs.

Children behave very well and play together. Staff have high expectations of all children. They teach children to share resources and to use good manners. Children comment, 'I'm turn-taking,' and adults encourage them with praise, saying, 'Yes, good turn-taking.' Children show good listening and attention skills, particularly as part of large-group sessions. They listen attentively to staff's instructions in French and English and follow them well.

The manager plans an ambitious curriculum, combining French and English educational programmes to build firm foundations for children's next stages of learning. She has a clear focus on developing children's language skills and staff introduce new words to children in both French and English. This helps children to become confident communicators.

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

• Children demonstrate that they remember what they have been taught at nursery. They excitedly share that last week they read 'The Leaf Thief' and saw different-coloured leaves in the forest-school area. They point out that photos on a display are of Rastamouse, a character from a story they are enjoying at the moment. At circle time, children use the sign for a squirrel as they ask for the story to be read again.
• Staff know children well. They talk confidently about where children are in their learning and development and what they need to do to support children's continuing progress. However, sometimes, staff do not use interactions effectively to promote children's thinking skills. For example, children are asked lots of questions about what colour things are. No time is given for children to consider and formulate responses before more questions are asked. Therefore, children's thought processes are cut short and they are not supported in thinking things through.
• There are good partnerships with parents and secure systems to share and receive information. Parents value the opportunities to come into nursery and read stories to the children or play guitar as part of music sessions. The nursery holds parents' evenings to inform parents of how and what their children are learning.
• The manager monitors staff practice well to develop and improve their knowledge and understanding. Staff training has a positive impact on children's experiences. For example, recent training, in how to provide specific sessions to develop children's focus and concentration, has enabled staff to provide targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, children receive the input needed to help them to thrive and make good progress in their learning and development.
• The daily routine does not allow children to spend sufficient amounts of time in self-initiated play. Children's focus is sometimes interrupted as staff move them on to the next section of the routine, such as snack or circle time, too quickly. This means children have limited opportunities to extend their own learning and fully concentrate. Also, the routine is not always balanced to meet children's needs. For example, on the day of the inspection, a long circle time, where children are encouraged to sit still, is followed by another activity where children must sit still. As a result, children find it difficult to fully engage in each activity and do not benefit fully from the intended learning.
• The nursery's management team is keen to drive improvement. It monitors the quality of education and has ambitious plans in place to enable continuous improvement.
• Outside, children explore with enthusiasm and excitement. They march in time to music and strengthen arm and leg muscles as they climb, run and balance on a variety of equipment.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's questioning skills so that they consistently give children more time to think and respond, to help further develop children's thinking skills
• review the daily routine to ensure that children are able to benefit fully from all activities.