Much Hadham Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, secure and enjoy their time at the setting. They form close attachments to staff, and this helps them to feel safe. Children develop a sense of belonging and make friends easily. All children make good progress in their learning, including those who speak English as an additional language.

Children have a wide range of resources to choose from, both inside and outside. For example, children are learning about different fruits from around the world. Children play with different coloured play dough that they carefully and skilfully mould into the different types of fruit.

Children have daily access to a well-equipped environment. They play in the garden freely, choosing the activities they want to take part in. They explore and use their imagination as they create a campfire out of mud and sand. They discuss what they can cook on the fire and how to stay safe. Children follow good hygiene procedures. They know to wash their hands before snack time and after they have been to the toilet. Children are developing the skills they need for future learning.

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

• Staff plan their curriculum around the children's interests and learning needs. They know the children well and know what they need to learn next. For example, leaders have an effective key-person system in place. Staff work hard to get to know children before they start. They ensure that they provide the resources that are of most interest to the children present. This helps them settle in quickly and start to build relationships.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. The manager ensures that parents receive regular updates on their children's development and progress. Parents state that their children have grown in confidence and progressed well since joining the setting.
• Children are active learners and are eager to get involved in activities. Staff sit closely with children to guide them, while allowing them to make their own choices. Children listen to the story of 'Handa's Surprise'. They learn about the different fruits that Handa collects in her basket on her journey. Staff encourage children to explore the fruit they provide and ask them to smell and taste it. Children try to cut up the fruit, so they can see the difference between the outside and inside. However, staff do not always provide children with the appropriate resources required to carry out the activities. For example, the knives provided were not of good enough quality to cut the fruit easily. This limits children's learning outcomes.
• Staff promote children's health and well-being. They encourage children to follow good hygiene procedures and talk to them about oral health. For example, children play with giant teeth and toothbrushes. They use shaving foam as toothpaste and staff demonstrate and discuss how to clean their teeth effectively.
• Staff support children's communication and language well. They sing familiar songs and rhymes and read stories. For example, they talk about the animals in the book. Staff ask children to describe what they can see. They learn why giraffes have a long neck and tongue and what they like to eat.
• Children are learning to become independent. They put on their own coats and choose what they want to play with. They take themselves to the toilet and have choices at snack time. However, staff do not consistently promote independence at every opportunity, which results in some children not learning the skills they need for future learning.
• Leaders and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with other professionals and introduce interventions and support in a timely manner. Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported. Staff help children to develop their mouth muscles by blowing bubbles. They work closely with parents to implement strategies. This results in the most vulnerable children making good progress.
• Staff promote children's physical development. Children play outside on the bicycles and scooters. They use large paint brushes and water to paint the playhouse. They use big arm movements to spread the water. Children take part in bark rubbing. They use chalks and skilfully rub them over the paper attached to the tree. Staff discuss the different patterns that they have created.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with suitable resources to enable them to complete their tasks and benefit fully from their activities
• promote children's independence fully at every opportunity to enable them to acquire all the skills they need for future learning.