Lindley Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy and settled in this welcoming pre-school. Staff interact in a warm and caring manner that fosters a supportive atmosphere and a sense of belonging, where children behave well. The environment is carefully considered with lots of opportunities for independent learning. This is helping children to learn and grow in their curiosity.

Leaders identify the importance of joy and happiness in a child's life and how these are important for their further development. The curriculum emphasises children's well-being and self-esteem. Leaders identify these as foundational to learning and this informs much of their practice. Children express joy and excitement in singing songs with staff in planned activities and spontaneously throughout the day. Children have a lot of fun in their learning. Staff use cardboard tubes like trumpets to encourage listening and attention skills. They add suspense in building games with younger children to capture their attention.

Leaders and staff form strong partnerships with parents. Parents report positively on how much time and consideration the staff give to the environment and the activities they provide. They highlight that staff know their children on a meaningful level, which they value greatly. Parents describe the effective work of the pre-school with other professionals, including how they have been quick to apply specific interventions and arrange transitions that are tailored to the unique child.

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

• Staff provide a curriculum that places the child at the centre. They understand the children in their care very well, overall, and adapt their approach accordingly to meet the needs of the group. For example, they recently adapted their indoor space to allow for more opportunities for physical development.
• Staff plan a well-considered and intentional environment. Children play independently with a range of resources. This is supported by staff scaffolding their play effectively. This helps children to engage in their learning and demonstrate what they know. For example, two children play by threading cotton reels on a shoelace. They ask their friend, 'Which colour do you think comes next in the pattern?'
• Overall, staff support children with ability-appropriate challenge and instruction. They effectively differentiate activities to support the variety of needs. In the woodland area, children are given a variety of tools and methods to make 'paint' with blackberries. Staff give time for children to think and come up with their own ideas. Children revisit their play and reflect on what they have discovered to embed learning. Children are engaged in activities and are proud of their work.
• Leaders have a clear vision for the pre-school and know what they are trying to achieve. They utilise a wealth of experience and knowledge to inform their practice. This is embedded in the staff team by effective professional development strategies, including peer observation, supervision sessions and accessing specialist training. Methods of teaching are applied consistently by the staff team, which provides stability for children. However, while some teaching interventions are of an exceptionally high quality, not all staff consistently interact with children with high levels of teaching input. For example, they do not always help children to develop a clear understanding of why there are boundaries, in order to support children's ongoing learning.
• Staff form effective relationships with their key children. They understand that the needs of each child vary and reflect on how they can support them effectively. For example, they adapt their daily routine to allow for more time outdoors to help children's self-regulation. Children's behaviour is good.
• Children are calm in the pre-school and show positive attitudes to staff and the inspector. However, some staff do not always set ambitious next steps for most-able children. They do not consistently recognise how they can build on children's learning, particularly indoors, to extend their learning to a higher level.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported exceptionally well throughout the pre-school. Staff work collaboratively to create an inclusive environment for all children. They deliver effective and focused learning opportunities that support targeted next steps. For example, staff use sensory resources to engage in fun activities. They respond sensitively to cues and gestures of nonverbal children and use simplified language to support communication and understanding. As such, children can participate fully in the pre-school and show high levels of well-being and positive relationships with staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve staff's understanding of child development to ensure consistently high-quality teaching interactions
• help most-able children to make even better progress in their development by setting higher expectations for their learning.