Mill Grove Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have a sensitive and caring attitude towards children, which helps them to settle quickly. The pre-school's ethos, the 'growth of love', is clearly defined and influences all aspects of the curriculum and teaching. For instance, it values children's home lives, their cultural backgrounds and heritage. Staff teach children about their own and other cultures, religions and about the world around them superbly. Staff have an excellent understanding of how children learn. They know how to engage children, and offer a wide range of highly stimulating activities in all areas of the curriculum. Children behave exceptionally well and know the importance of kindness and respect for one another.

Children are very curious and thoroughly enjoy learning. They concentrate very well as they express themselves using their rapidly developing language skills. Children confidently learn how to follow instructions and problem-solve as they take their time to complete puzzles, sort shapes and construct. Children use resources confidently and independently and engage in their play for extended periods of time. For example, children are fascinated as they use a remote control to switch on and off and change the colour of fairy lights. They thoroughly enjoy experimenting with torches, exploring science concepts such as reflection, dark and light, and cause and effect. Staff develop children's early literacy skills very well. Children access an excellent range of books independently. They thoroughly enjoy participating in story, singing and small-group targeted activities.

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

• Staff have an excellent and clear understanding of what they want children to learn. They build on children's next steps and interests. For example, younger children happily focused on using their senses with flour, water, paint and pasta and explored textures. Older children are skilfully engaged by staff in discussions about caring for living things and healthy eating when they find a caterpillar. Children who are at first wary of the caterpillar soon become captivated as staff make links to a story about a hungry caterpillar.
• Staff maintain accurate and highly effective records of children's learning and achievements. They use their observations to plan meticulous, personalised education plans relating to children's individual needs. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit greatly from daily small-group interventions that target their social skills and speech and language development.
• Children have a great time outdoors, learning about the natural world. For instance, they pull up vegetables and enthusiastically talk about the fruit and vegetables they have grown in the pre-school allotment. Children become immersed in sorting and grouping as they separate the beetroot from the stalks and the leaves. Children confidently engage in discussions with visitors about selling their beetroot in exchange for money. Staff help prepare children extremely well for their future learning experiences.
• Children of all age groups develop their creative and imaginative skills wonderfully as they use coloured paper, small shapes, glitter, paint and glue. They thoroughly enjoy selecting the resources they want and design their own pictures and models. Children also have the confidence to ask staff for extra materials when they run out.
• Leaders and staff work collaboratively with specialist teachers, professionals and other settings. This ensures children have the appropriate support and consistency in their learning experiences. All children make rapid progress and excel in their learning, including children with SEND and those in receipt of additional funding.
• The manager is highly motivated and very focused on making improvements that benefit children. For example, since the last inspection, leaders have been extremely successful in developing an extensive outdoor area. This was as a direct result of the impact of COVID-19 on children's learning and development. Children now spend a considerable part of their day in the outdoors in the fresh air, where they develop excellent social and physical skills.
• Leaders and the staff team work exceptionally well together. New staff say they feel well supported and welcomed by everyone. Managers recognise the benefits of regular staff training. For example, all staff are trained in supporting children with autism. This has significantly increased staff levels of confidence and understanding.
• Parents are highly complimentary about the staff. They say staff go above and beyond and they are always well informed about their children's day. Parents say they are offered support and advice about how they can support their children further at home.