Lampton Park Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter this pre-school eager to start their day and are greeted by caring staff. Staff form strong bonds with the children, and this helps them to settle quickly. Staff know children well and create a friendly and welcoming environment where children happily learn and play. Children play independently and with their friends, choosing from the wide range of enticing resources and activities. Staff join children's play and embed their learning well. They promote interesting discussions. For example, children who are role playing toothbrushing discuss the importance of visiting the dentist with a staff member. Staff understand what children need to learn next and plan effectively to build on what they know and can do. This is true for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Communication and language development is a key priority within the curriculum. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, experience a language-rich environment. Individual interventions and group sessions are used to enhance the children's language development. Staff repeat children's words and sentences to model correct pronunciation and add new words to extend their vocabulary. Staff ask questions while children play to help them think about what they are doing and engage them in conversation. This supports all children to become confident communicators, preparing them for the next stage of learning.

Children respond well to the staff's engaging tones. Staff clearly explain behaviour expectations. They talk to children about the impact that their actions have on others and how to be kind to each other. For example, staff and children talk about taking turns, and the children praise each other for 'good waiting'. This helps children to learn to build positive relationships with their peers.

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

• The management team is passionate about all children achieving. Managers and staff have constructed a curriculum that is child-centred. They tap into each child's interests and use previous observations and tracking of the children to help them to make good progress and achieve positive outcomes. Staff review children's next steps in learning regularly.
• Staff generally engage children well in activities and use a variety of strategies to involve most children. However, quieter children are sometimes observed sitting on the periphery of group activities without encouragement to participate. These children miss valuable learning opportunities and do not receive the same level of interaction or support as their peers.
• The staff team understands the importance of different types of communication. The use of pictures as well as signing is common practice across the pre-school.
• This supports all children, including those with SEND and/or who speak English as an additional language, to have a good understanding of what is happening in the pre-school and fully involve themselves in the routine.
• Staff swiftly identify when children need further support for their learning or development. They work in close partnership with parents and other professionals. This helps staff to develop strategies to support children with SEND. For instance, staff use pictures on lanyards to support communication and signals, such as playing a triangle, to signal transitions. This helps support all children's understanding and communication. Staff and leaders regularly review the plans for supporting children. They use additional funding to provide specific resources, interventions and training. This ensures that children with SEND continue to achieve well.
• Staff use positive behaviour strategies and explain the reasons behind rules, helping children understand expectations and develop self-regulation. However, staff can focus heavily on children who struggle with behaviour, so positive behaviour in others is not always recognised.
• Parents speak glowingly about the pre-school. They praise the staff team as a whole as well as the staff's communication and comment on the progress their children make there. Parents feel as though they are welcomed into a community when their children join and are thankful for the support they also receive in relation to supporting their children's development. Parental relationships are a clear strength.
• Leaders are reflective of practice, and the provision is receptive to advice and ideas. Leaders offer strong support for staff who are new to the sector and to those wishing to develop and enhance their practice further. Staff training is targeted to enhance the quality of practice and education and to make sure that staff have the appropriate skills to support children with SEND. Staff feel valued in their roles, and children benefit from the continual drive to raise standards.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of activities with staff to ensure that all children, including quiet children, are able to fully engage
• help staff to consistently recognise and praise positive behaviour so that all children feel valued and are encouraged to sustain positive behaviour.