Ongar Pre-School, Breakfast & After School Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff and leaders warmly greet children and families as they arrive at pre-school. Children show excitement to carry out immediate tasks to start their day. They feel safe and secure as they confidently say goodbye to parents. Children have settled well and staff spend quality time to understand their individual needs. As a result, children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and secure meaningful bonds with key persons.

Staff and leaders provide a curriculum that is varied and supports children's interests. Children excitedly play with toy animals. They mimic the sounds animals make and confidently say what they are. Staff help children to understand how they are feeling through discussions and regular check-ins. This helps children to describe their own emotions and develop a sense of belonging. As a result, staff create a positive atmosphere for children to grow their confidence and self-esteem.

Staff and leaders challenge children to develop their physical skills. Children enjoy playing outdoors. For example, staff encourage children with risky play when exploring balancing beams. Staff help children through stages of support to build their core strength and jumping skills. These experiences help children to build their motor skills and feel included.

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

• Leaders and staff continuously reflect on, and review, the provision. Staff attend regular supervisions and speak highly of the support they receive in their roles. They attend frequent training beyond mandatory training and enjoy undertaking opportunities to professionally develop. This helps staff maintain high-quality teaching and practice.
• Leaders and staff maintain effective partnerships with parents. They take care to ensure children settle into pre-school. Staff get to know children and share strategies with parents through various communications. Parents compliment the growth in confidence their children make. They feel children have made improvements in their communication and language and value the progress in children's learning and development.
• Leaders and staff work in partnership with other professionals to support all children. There is a strong focus on communication and language in the curriculum. Children enjoy singing songs with actions and staff encourage them to have a go. Staff tailor support to ensure there is targeted intervention. They swiftly act to ensure children receive additional funding they are entitled to. This helps children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make progress.
• Children are eager at snack and mealtimes. They confidently make choices and express their preferences. Staff help prepare the organisation and transition of daily routines. However, staff do not always organise transitions effectively and can undertake too many tasks at once. As a result, there are missed opportunities to promote children's care and learning during transitions.
• Staff plan activities based on children's next steps in learning. For example, children explore playdough and use different tools to manipulate textures. During times of learning, children occasionally struggle to maintain focus and lose engagement. This means staff do not always successfully adapt teaching to interact with all children to maintain high levels of engagement and learning.
• Children are deeply interested to explore their physical skills. They engage in obstacle courses and balancing beams to build core strength. Children stretch their arms out and take careful steps to complete courses. Staff support children to move in various ways. They help young children to build their strength, climb stairs and take appropriate risks.
• Leaders and staff are good role models to children. They help children resolve minor conflicts and talk about their feelings. This supports children's self-esteem and well-being. Children demonstrate turn taking and talk about who is next to play on bikes and outdoor equipment. This strengthens children's friendships and they play alongside one another well.
• Children develop mathematical skills throughout the day. They use their fingers to count objects and numbers. They recognise colours and create concepts of 'lighter' and 'heavier' in games. For instance, children use scales to compare the size and weight of objects. This helps develop their curiosity and critical thinking.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the organisation of daily routines and how these are managed to ensure staff consistently promote children's care and well-being during transitions
• review further how staff can adapt their teaching and interactions to support children to maintain high levels of engagement and maximise their learning.