Newton Abbot Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy at this friendly pre-school. They arrive eager to see their friends and settle in to playing immediately. Kind and caring staff support the children and know them very well. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They include children in the planning of activities and allow them plenty of time to explore the wide variety of resources. Children show a love of learning. For instance, they excitedly create music alongside staff, using shakers and bells. Managers have put in place a coherent curriculum through the use of termly themes that build on what children need to know next. The curriculum is ambitious for all children.

Children delight as they play in the exciting outdoor area. They show their determination as they develop their physical skills on climbing frames and ride-on toys. They recall previous learning, for example, by pretending to be palaeontologists as they excavate toy dinosaurs in the mud kitchen. Children learn about growth and how to keep themselves healthy. They plant different types of vegetables, such as peas, which they then pick to eat at lunchtime. They remember what plants need, in order to grow. They find watering cans and carefully water the plants.

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

• Children are confident. They independently select resources to play with and are inquisitive about the world around them. For example, they use plastic magnifying viewers to look closely at insects that they find. They enjoy the one- to-one attention of staff, who talk to children about what they can see and help them to develop their ideas.
• There is an effective key-person system. Staff identify children's next steps and provide activities that support them to make good progress. The manager has carefully considered the potential impact of recent changes in staff. She has ensured that there is a good level of continuity of care, enabling children to feel settled. Staff and children kindly welcome new people into the pre-school.
• Staff offer a good level of support to children and families who speak English as an additional language (EAL). They are proactive in finding ways to communicate with parents who have children with EAL, for example, through the use of translation apps. They display key words for children in both their home language and in English. However, staff are not always confident in supporting children to use and be understood in their home language, which would help them feel even more included.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress from their starting points. Staff are knowledgeable and recognise when a child needs extra support. They complete timely referrals to outside agencies to help children get the appropriate support and work alongside a local special needs school to improve staff training in SEND. The manager has forged good links with local schools. There are enhanced transition procedures in place for those children who need it. For example, pre-school staff attend additional settling-in sessions at children's new school with them.
• Staff provide good opportunities for children to learn in a variety of different ways. For example, children sit together at the start of the day to learn in a larger group. Staff sing with the children and have discussions about prior learning. However, staff do not always provide enough interaction with them in these sessions, which can lead to children becoming bored and starting to move around.
• Staff work in partnership with parents. They regularly invite parents into the pre-school to take part in their children's learning. For example, parents took part in a recent visit from a specialist reptile and small-animal keeper. Parents are very happy with the pre-school. They praise the manager and her deputy, especially for the additional help they provide children with SEND.
• Trustees are incredibly supportive of the staff. They are very active in the nursery, for example, they volunteer their time to help support children with their learning and provide help with the upkeep of the outdoor area. They offer advice to the manager and help to ensure that staff well-being remains high.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further staff's ability and confidence to support children who are learning to speak English as an additional language
• strengthen the planning of larger-group activities to ensure that children remain engaged and on task at all times.