Park Pre-School

Inclusion: Strong standard

Inclusion is at the heart of this setting. Staff identify individual needs early, using thorough observations to establish precise baselines for all children. To ensure a culture of collective responsibility, staff regularly participate in training focused on diverse learning and physical needs, including specialised communication programmes. This commitment helped the setting achieve a national mark of achievement for special educational needs and/or disabilities practice.

Practitioners use tracking systems to pinpoint specific gaps in development. For example, the progress check at age 2 is used to identify any delays in learning, allowing staff to share clear next steps with parents and carers. This consistent approach enables immediate early intervention, so children make progress without waiting for professional help. Leaders work closely with external agencies, such as speech and language therapists and physiotherapists, ensuring timely referrals and expert guidance.

Early years pupil premium funding is used strategically to provide new experiences that broaden children's understanding of the world. For instance, family trips to local farms or parks help children connect real-life experiences. Specialised sports sessions improve their physical coordination and social resilience. Staff make consistent adaptations, such as lowering equipment, to ensure children facing barriers to learning explore alongside their peers with total confidence.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders design an evolving and ambitious curriculum tailored to the specific group of children attending, focusing consistently on communication and emotional literacy. This approach ensures that children who start with lower language levels quickly gain the confidence to express their needs and feelings. Staff demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of how to sequence learning. For instance, younger children use large pipettes to develop whole-hand strength, while older children use pencils skilfully for mark making. This prioritisation of physical and emotional development ensures children gain the coordination and persistence needed for later success.

Teaching is purposeful and responsive to children's interests. Staff teach in small groups to provide depth of learning in calm environments. They bring literacy to life with engaging intonation and open-ended questions. For example, when reading 'The Gingerbread Man', children excitedly predict events and use descriptive language. Staff weave mathematical concepts into the day, helping children understand number and language consistently through actions, such as counting claps or jumps.

Assessment is used effectively to check what children know and can do, allowing staff to tailor teaching to different starting points. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, staff make precise adaptations. They modify communication styles and use visual prompts, so every child follows instructions and participates fully. This responsive approach ensures every child receives the right challenge to thrive.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make rapid and secure progress from their individual starting points. The impact of the language-rich environment is clear and consistent. Children who start with limited speech quickly progress to using confident, complex sentences. They use their new vocabulary to recite rhymes, join in with prayers and express their feelings with clarity. This is particularly evident for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who make significant strides in their communication, moving from gestures to clear vocalisations and purposeful interaction with their peers.

Physical development is a particular strength. Through structured exercise sessions, children gain impressive coordination, mastering hops and star jumps while counting their movements and practising early numeracy. Children also gain vital self-care skills. They manage their own hygiene through handwashing and take pride in dressing themselves independently for outdoor play. They leave as resilient, articulate learners, who are extremely well prepared for their next stage in learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have established a positive environment with commonly understood expectations for behaviour. Relationships between staff and children are deeply rooted in trust, providing a secure base that promotes positive attitudes to learning. For example, when children are new to the setting, staff prioritise their emotional security by allowing them to observe activities from a distance until they feel ready to participate. This patient approach ensures every child feels safe to explore at their own pace and builds their confidence.

Staff provide consistent support to help children recognise and manage their feelings. They use visual aids to help children articulate various emotions, which supports the development of empathy across the group. As a result, children are kind and frequently show concern for the wellbeing of others. Children respond extremely well to the predictable routines of the day, which builds their self-belief and motivation. Within mixed-age groups, older children act as role models, providing natural support for younger peers to follow. Leaders work closely with families to promote the importance of punctuality and attendance, helping them understand the link between regular routines and their child's ongoing development.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

The setting prioritises all children's health and emotional wellbeing through highly effective care practices. Secure and responsive relationships are a strength. Key staff are attuned to children's emotional cues, providing comfort, cuddles and reassurance to help every child feel valued. Staff provide consistent support to help children manage their emotions from the moment they arrive. For example, children use a mirror to observe their expressions and relate them to emotion cards, helping them understand their feelings. This helps to support children with barriers to learning and wellbeing particularly well.

Staff work in partnership with the local authority on projects to improve oral hygiene. They use bilingual skills to teach families the importance of dental health, ensuring messages are supported at home. Children learn to make healthy choices and understand their bodies. During work-out sessions, staff explain how exercise makes them thirsty and why water helps them recover. Children have constant access to fresh drinking water, encouraging them to stay hydrated and manage their own physical needs independently. Mealtimes together further promote wellbeing, as children explore nutritious foods alongside their peers. Safety is taught practically. For instance, children learn to handle tools safely by using safety knives to cut real fruit and vegetables under close supervision.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate an unwavering commitment to improving children's lives. They accurately identify the setting's strengths and take purposeful action to maintain high standards. Leaders are reflective and prioritise staff's professional development through an established appraisal system, regular supervision and coaching sessions. For example, staff have completed specialised training to support children who face barriers to learning, ensuring they receive targeted support to reach their potential. Due to the expectations leaders have for high-quality teaching, they provide staff with regular incentives and dedicated time away from children, allowing them to manage their workload and training effectively.

To further drive improvement, leaders work closely with the local authority early years quality assurance team and collaborate with linked settings to share best practice. This proactive approach ensures that teaching methods remain current and effective. Leaders ensure all decisions are made in the best interests of the children. They have established close partnerships with parents and carers through face-to-face handovers and a dedicated online platform, ensuring a consistent approach to care and learning. Consequently, parents feel that their children make significant progress and value the secure bonds formed with their child's key worker.