Lympstone Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident to make choices in their play and explore their environment freely. Leaders and staff show a strong commitment to providing an inclusive, safe environment for children to play and learn in. The pre-school has strong links with the community it serves and children learn to respect their environment. Staff join in with children's play and encourage children to extend their ideas, including through asking questions and posing challenges. Children investigate and use their problem-solving skills as they work together. For example, after making kites, the children show perseverance and determination as they test out their ideas to make them fly.

Staff successfully use knowledge gained through training to help raise the quality of teaching. They take every opportunity to engage with and observe children while at play. Staff consistently offer high-quality interactions using a range of strategies. Leaders have completed training focused on adult's and children's mental health. This has helped them to support the whole team and families at the pre-school during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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

• Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children, and children develop good skills to support their future learning. Partnership working with other professionals is well established. The special educational needs coordinator works very well with parents, staff and other professionals. Staff are quick to respond when children need additional support. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff support children to develop their understanding of nature very well. For example, children relish the opportunity to grow fruit and vegetables in the nature garden. Staff's timely interventions skilfully encourage children to assess whether the strawberries are ripe. Children also regularly attend an inspiring 'beach school' session, and this broadens their experience of nature and wildlife very effectively.
• Children behave outstandingly well as there are very clear and consistent expectations reinforced by staff in a kind and respectful way. Staff praise children for their efforts, achievements and positive behaviour. Children show high levels of respect and care for each other and their environment.
• Staff introduce phonics, writing and mathematics during all activities. For example, during group time, staff incorporate numbers into their discussion about how old children are. The children then write their age on the white board. Staff support children to learn the time, pointing out the numbers on the clock when the children ask if it is nearly lunchtime.
• Leaders have a clear vision of what they want children to develop. The curriculum has a clear focus on developing children's confidence and independence in readiness for school. Staff encourage children to be independent in their self-help skills. Older children show care towards younger children and enjoy helping them to put on their shoes and coats. Children are extremely independent and are willing helpers in daily tasks. For instance, they help to clear and wipe tables in preparation for mealtimes.
• Leaders use additional funding effectively to support children with a variety of needs. They recognise when families need extra support, identifying this early on and implementing interventions quickly. This ensures that children make progress and get the help they need to access learning and to transition effectively to school.
• Parents and carers speak very highly of the pre-school. They state that they appreciated the support they were given by staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff hold virtual meetings to share information about children's progress. At times, parents would benefit from further information and ideas about how to support children's learning at home, to enable them to extend children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the process for sharing home learning ideas with parents to support them to build on their children's learning at home.