Oldland Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide children with a calm and nurturing place to learn. They focus on ensuring that children feel safe and secure. Children have strong relationships with their key persons and peers. They freely explore the stimulating environment and make choices about what they want to do. Staff build children's confidence and self-esteem. They continuously praise the children and celebrate their achievements.

Staff have a clear intent for children's learning. They focus on developing children's independence and social skills. Children find their coats and shoes when it is time to go outside. Staff offer support to the younger children by showing them how to put their coats on using the 'magic coat' method. They help the children put on their shoes, encouraging them to try to carry out certain stages themselves. This ensures that children develop a 'can-do' attitude and a willingness to give it a go.

Children benefit from getting out in the community. They visit the local care homes and businesses with staff. Staff focus on developing the children's confidence in new environments. They have discussions with the children about past experiences and help them to overcome their fears. For example, children visit the dentist and hairdressers, where they gain knowledge and understanding of what happens in these places. This widens children's knowledge of the world around them and strengthens their social skills.

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

• Staff promote inclusion well. For example, children create their name pegs and have photos of their families on the wall. They have discussions about the similarities and differences between their families. Children learn about different cultures and beliefs. Staff gain key words in children's home languages, which they use when interacting with the children. This enhances children's self identity and develops a sense of belonging.
• Children understand the importance of good hygiene practices and routines. They talk about why it is important to brush their teeth, to remove all the germs. Children discuss what germs might look like and identify that they 'can't see the germs because they are so tiny'. Children wipe their noses and place the tissue in the bin. They wash their hands, which helps to reduce the risk of germs and illness spreading.
• Staff collect important information about the child during settling-in sessions. They gain an understanding of the children's routines, likes and dislikes, and an overview of their current development. Staff observe the children during their play to identify the children's next stages of learning. They plan activities based on the children's interests and interact with them to extend their knowledge beyond what they already know. Children show clear progress from their starting points.
• Children confidently talk to their friends and visitors. Staff read the children stories and sing familiar nursery rhymes to support their communication skills. At circle time, children talk in large groups and can retell the key moments of a story. However, at times, some staff do not use the correct pronunciations of words or introduce new vocabulary to enable children to further develop their language skills.
• Parents speak highly of the manager and her team. They state that the pre-school offers a personal touch and staff take time to get to know the children. Parents receive detailed feedback about their child's developmental progress. They get regular newsletters and emails about current learning themes and upcoming events. Staff provide parents with a wide range of support and guidance, such as how to manage potty training, fussy eating, and children's behaviour.
• Children behave well. They know and follow the rules and boundaries of the setting. Children understand how their actions may hurt others. They have discussions about how they are feeling and how others might be feeling. Children manage and resolve conflicts well. Staff and older children act as positive role models for the younger ones. Children share their toys and use their manners, which is highly praised by staff.
• Staff make adjustments to the routines and provide small group activities for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities that support them in their learning. Staff identify children who require additional help and put strategies in place to support them. However, staff do not always use these strategies consistently to support them to make the best possible progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to model language consistently, to help young children learn new vocabulary and use the correct pronunciation of words
• ensure that staff provide more consistent support to those children who need extra help, to enable them to achieve the best they can.