Paddington Preschool Stage Two

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The new leadership team creates an innovative and exciting environment where children thrive. Staff provide all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, with a bespoke curriculum. Children positively flourish when they spend time with staff, who expertly adapt their teaching to support them in achieving the best possible progress.

Children appear happy and highly motivated. Once they have self-registered, they instantly settle to play alongside staff, whose wonderful conversations and interactions stimulate children's learning from the moment they arrive. Staff use children's preferred method of communication, such as sign language or visual cue cards, to help all children become confident and capable communicators.

Children form deep attachments with the nurturing and fun-loving staff. Staff provide consistent and reassuring routines that help children feel emotionally secure and confident. Children turn to staff for help and comfort, as well as to extend their play and knowledge. Staff are quick to notice children's curiosity and wonder at the world. For example, they teach children the names of the spring flowers they see on their daily walk. Children later demonstrate what they know and remember about the flowers through their colourful artwork and imaginative play.

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

• Inspirational leaders successfully support the positive, professional and enthusiastic staff. They provide them with regular opportunities to deepen their understanding of how children learn, such as through training, supervision and professional development. For example, staff analyse and reflect on their teaching together, to develop greater awareness of effective teaching strategies. Leaders' strong vision to provide all children with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed is fully embedded into staff practice.
• Staff and leaders construct a highly ambitious curriculum that puts every child at the centre of their own learning. From the outset, staff gather information from parents about what children can do and their interests and their health, to plan children's personal learning targets. They regularly refine and update these plans when they notice even the subtlest of children's achievements. This means all children, including those with SEND, learn in the way that suits them best, and they make excellent progress.
• Staff expertly support children's communication and language skills. They use songs, stories and rhymes to build children's vocabulary in fun ways. For example, children enthusiastically sing about the days of the week or learn to count during number rhymes. Staff make excellent use of signing and visual cue cards to improve children's understanding during activities. They also encourage children to sign with one another. This breaks down barriers to effective communication, supporting those children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language to quickly develop confidence when speaking and playing with their friends.
• Staff skilfully increase children's knowledge and problem-solving skills. For example, they ask children to make predictions, such as whether objects will float or sink when they play with water. Staff provide new ideas when they talk about shape and surface area. Children's curiosity is increased when they weigh objects and experiment with them, demonstrating what they know about 'light' and 'heavy'. This heightens children's involvement and engagement in activities and elevates their levels of concentration and understanding.
• Staff celebrate children's unique qualities when they embrace their individual personalities, cultures and backgrounds. They recognise how children's experiences vary greatly, so they ensure all children have the chance to experience new activities. For instance, they introduce children to community events, such as watching and listening to musicians or visiting a mosque during Ramadan. Children begin to make connections and develop ideas, from which they can build a greater understanding of the world.
• Staff support children to develop healthy routines and to improve their independence skills. Staff give consistent messages about the benefits of a healthy diet, good hygiene and exercise. Children make choices about their personal care, such as when they need a nappy change. This helps children to develop self-confidence and trust when they know staff listen to them and respect their views.
• Staff consistently demonstrate kindness and compassion towards children. When children feel overwhelmed, staff comfort them while talking to them about their emotions. They give children strategies to help self-regulate and calm themselves. Children demonstrate tolerance and fondness for one another. Their behaviour is exemplary.
• Staff work exceptionally well with parents. Since the last inspection, they have developed highly effective ways of sharing information with them. Parents know what their children are learning and how they can help them at home. Staff work closely with parents to secure any additional funding children are entitled to, or to help them seek advice from other professionals when they need further support.