Maldon Community Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager is dedicated and committed to ensuring that children are the centre of all decisions made, and to provide children with an inspiring, ambitious and exciting place to learn. The quality of teaching is outstanding. The curriculum is meticulously designed around the children's interests and effectively builds on what they already know to extend and challenge their learning to the highest level. The manager is extremely passionate in her vision and commitment to providing children with a magical place, that is rich in learning opportunities. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and her knowledgeable, attentive, and nurturing team shares her passion and motivation. All children flourish and make exceptional progress from their starting points. Children eagerly arrive and immerse themselves in activities of their choice and leave their parents with ease. They show immense curiosity, ask lots of questions and are excited to learn new things.

Staff create a most inviting outdoor environment. Children relish their time in the garden. They know to take care of plants they grow. Even very young children confidently explain to visitors to the setting the importance of watering their pumpkin patch. Children sit in small boats, or on tree stumps, around their pretend 'camp' fire and read stories to their friends. Staff positively promote children's love for books. Children understand there is a start, middle and an end to a story. They talk about the title, illustrators and authors, and books are respected and truly loved throughout the pre-school. A highly effective key-person system is in place and children have formed trusting and secure relationships. Children have a strong sense of self-worth. Staff have extremely high expectations of children's behaviour, which is exemplary.

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

• The curriculum is planned effectively around children's spontaneous interests and experiences. Staff build on and extend children's learning as they invest time in getting to know them. Staff have a secure knowledge of how children learn and the intention for learning within the activities they plan.
• High quality interactions are effective and support children's learning. Staff pose questions that encourage children to think critically. However, they are also skilful in their interactions, allowing children time to take risks safely and problem solve for themselves. For example, children work together as they negotiate how to release a buggy wheel from a hole it is stuck in. When it falls off the buggy they make good attempts at trying to solve the problem themselves before asking for help.
• Children are well prepared for the transition to school. Opportunities for children to learn the skills they need to be independent learners are embedded within the pre-school ethos. A strong sense of self and confident communicators underpins the promotion and content of the curriculum. The team are proactive to ensure positive and meaningful relationships are established with the schools that children will attend to ensure transition is seamless.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school and all aspects of care and learning provided. They comment that the team are so welcoming, approachable and know their children exceptionally well. They feel totally reassured that their children are in safe hands. They welcome the use of exciting and meaningful home-learning resources, and information available to continue learning at home.
• Children are confident and they demonstrate they feel safe and secure. They are positively encouraged to make choices for themselves and have responsibilities, as this is securely embedded in the daily routines. For example, children choose where they play and when to have snack. They are encouraged to make choices as they vote for what story they would like to be read. Children show sustained concentration and listen with enthusiasm, eager to predict what happens.
• The manager positively encourages and facilitates staff's continuous professional development. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities and speak with genuine enthusiasm about their time at work. Staff welfare is considered, and they feel valued and fully supported.
• The pre-school special educational needs coordinator is very knowledgeable and passionate about her role. Therefore, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported exceptionally well and make very good progress. Early intervention and positive links with outside agencies involved in the care of the children ensure a consistent, collaborative approach.
• The environment is rich in language opportunities. Children give running commentaries as they play and ask lots of questions to satisfy their curiosity. Staff enhance children's vocabulary as they introduce new words as they play. For example, they talk about moths being nocturnal and what this means. They discuss gravity and force during water play. They make gnocchi and fusilli pasta with play dough and even young children who are interested in transport, learn about submarines being submerged under water.