Padnell Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children appear happy and settled at this warm and welcoming pre-school. Staff are friendly and nurturing. They build meaningful relationships with children. Together, children have conversations about their exciting mornings visiting their new teachers at school. Children demonstrate confidence and independence. They place their belongings away and quickly get involved with exciting activities, such as play dough and painting. Children begin to understand the importance of taking turns. They share shape cutters and scissors as they construct creatively. Children play well alongside one another.

Children have countless opportunities to learn about the natural environment. Staff plan learning experiences that teach them about caring for living things. For example, children excitedly use information books to identify the insects they have found in the garden. Children calmly and intently examine a grasshopper on their hand. Together, children discuss how it is sitting very still and that it is green for camouflage. Furthermore, children demonstrate respect for creatures as they recognise that they need to return them to their 'habitats'. Children gain a wealth of vocabulary as they actively engage in learning.

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

• Leaders do not ensure there is always a member of staff at the pre-school who holds a full and relevant paediatric first-aid qualification in line with the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage. However, staff have retained knowledge of how to respond to an emergency. They have booked on to an appropriate course to update their knowledge and obtain valid qualifications. To date, this has not had an impact on the safety or well-being of children.
• Leaders have adopted a curriculum that prepares children with the skills they need for their future education. They place a strong focus on children's personal development as a foundation for what they plan to teach. For example, they intend for children to develop a high level of understanding of their unique sense of self and individual character. Children talk with excitement about what they have learned. They discuss keeping their teeth healthy and use words such as enamel and plaque. Children also joyfully join in with games of matching healthy food and foods that can be considered a treat. Children demonstrate what they know as they learn about healthy lifestyles.
• Staff use assessment to monitor how children are progressing and plan for their next steps in learning. Staff involve parents in this process. For example, they invite them into pre-school to discuss children's development and offer suggestions for how to extend children's learning at home further. Children's progress is well supported through positive partnerships with parents.
• Leaders have high expectations for children's behaviour. They have created clear
• 'pre-school manners' with children. Staff occasionally introduce these expectations to children. However, this is not a consistent practice. For example, staff do not regularly promote these expectations during interactions or fully explain why they are in place. This means that, occasionally, children do not consistently understand why certain expectations are in place and, at times, do not follow them.
• Staff regularly encourage children to carry out tasks for themselves. For example, children put on aprons for painting activities and confidently pour their own drinks at snack time. Furthermore, children carefully consider how to arrange their outside obstacle course. They move equipment and carefully consider risks with staff who support them as they make decisions. Children build strong independence skills and develop an understanding of personal safety.
• Leaders work closely with other professionals involved in children's care. For example, where children have special educational needs and/or disabilities, staff work with speech and language therapists and local paediatric teams. Together, staff implement collaborative plans, such as focusing on the use of visual aids to extend children's vocabulary. This shared approach to learning supports children to achieve the best outcomes.