Nacton & Bucklesham Under 5s

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enthusiastically enter the pre-school with high levels of confidence when welcomed by the staff, who are extremely caring and nurturing. Staff provide flexible, settling-in procedures which help children settle smoothly. Children immediately start playing and exploring, showing their excitement for the choice of activities available to them.

Children appreciate the continuous access to outdoor play. Regular trips in the community, such as woodland walks and visits to the local farm and beekeeper, foster children's sense of belonging and wonderment about the world they live in. Children use the attractive outdoor resources to practise climbing, balancing and pedalling. Children have access to lots of resources that encourage them to develop their small-muscle strength in preparation for later writing.

Staff ensure resources are interesting, fun and reflect children's unique interests. This enthuses children's love of learning and increases their engagement and curiosity to learn. Staff have a well-embedded approach to promoting good behaviour. Children learn to play cooperatively. They develop firm friendships because staff consistently model expected behaviours such as turn taking. When staff leave children to continue playing a game of hide and seek, children start negotiating turn taking themselves, which highlights the effectiveness of their teaching.

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

• The management team and staff are knowledgeable about what they want the children to learn and plan a rich curriculum to help children make good progress. Staff gather ongoing information from parents and regularly assess children's progress. Staff use this knowledge to plan experiences that build on what children already know and can do. However, staff do not consistently consider how their interactions can help children explore activities more purposefully, to increase learning and help them reach their best outcomes.
• Children make good progress in their speech and language development. Makaton sign language is used by staff and supports early communication, especially for those children who find it difficult to speak. Children benefit from small group learning opportunities. For example, while a member of staff plays the ukulele, children delight in playing a musical instrument alongside them. Children joyfully learn to follow instructions and develop their wider social communication skills.
• Parents talk enthusiastically about the daily discussions they have with staff and information they receive through the online communication system. The management team and staff engage with parents and other agencies involved with the children, to ensure all children receive the support they need to make good progress.
• The newly appointed management team and committee are highly reflective of their practice. They are dedicated to the continuous improvement and progression of the pre-school. Regular supervisions support staff to feel valued and they report excellent well-being. However, training and professional development opportunities are not yet sharply focused on supporting staff to fully understand and consistently implement the curriculum, to raise the outcomes for children even more.
• Consistently clear messages from staff ensure children follow good hygiene routines. As a result, children are good role models and encourage their younger peers to wash their hands before eating. Staff provide meaningful praise for their efforts and achievements as children learn to put on their coats and shoes. This encouragement enhances their self-esteem and builds their resilience and ability to persevere when attending to their personal needs.
• Staff use everyday routines, such as mealtimes, to provide good meaningful teaching experiences. For example, at snack time, children begin to understand that numbers are connected to a quantity of something. As staff point to the number three, children start to realise this means they can choose three slices of apple.
• Staff genuinely care about children and frequently respond swiftly and appropriately to them if they are upset. Children show trusting and caring attachments to their key persons. They confidently ask for help or go to them for a cuddle if they need it. Staff understand the importance of children having empathy. They use themed books and coordinate resources to plan and implement successful activities that help children to understand their own feelings and emotions.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to plan activities with a sharp focus on children's next steps in learning to consistently challenge and extend their learning through the opportunities provided
• build on existing performance management systems to monitor staff's practice and help them raise the quality of teaching to an even higher level.