Penge Community Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop into confident and independent individuals at this well-run setting. Staff plan a broad and balanced curriculum based on children's interests and individual learning needs. They provide engaging activities and many opportunities for children to build on their previous knowledge and practise their skills. For example, children role play caring for babies. They decide to take them on a trip to the park. After discussing what they need to take with them, they pack a bag with bottles, a change of clothes and spare nappies. They practise putting on the nappies and baby clothes.

Staff ensure that children fully understand the expectations for their behaviour. They regularly praise good behaviour, explaining how important it is to share and take turns when playing with others. Children's independence skills are well supported. For example, they self-register when they arrive and put their own photo on a board to show they have had their morning snack.

Staff know all of the children very well. They observe them regularly, using the information they gather to plan activities that support children's further development and address any gaps in their learning. When parents first register, staff encourage them to provide detailed information about their children's interests and care needs. This helps staff to plan individual settling-in programmes to ensure a smooth transition from home. Children settle quickly.

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

• Parental support is a strong feature of the setting. Families facing difficulties are signposted to other agencies who can help and the manager makes herself readily available to discuss any issues. This has a positive impact on children's well-being.
• The manager discusses her intent for the curriculum, highlighting the gaps staff have identified in children's development as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff have put support in place to address weaknesses in children's personal and social development. As a result, all children are now making good progress in this area.
• All staff are very experienced and generally know how young children learn best. The manager organises regular training to ensure staff's skills and knowledge are kept up to date. She understands the importance of strengthening staff skills, so works with them every day, modelling good practice and monitoring standards.
• Staff are kind and nurturing. Most places are funded and a significant number of children come from vulnerable families. Staff always take account of this when interacting with children, adapting their support and guidance to take account of their specific emotional needs.
• Generally, staff support children's learning well. They plan a range of targeted adult-led activities and understand how to support children's independent play. However, sometimes, staff do not seize opportunities to extend children's play and deepen their thinking. Therefore, some children do not always make as much progress as they could.
• Children's communication and language development are a focus. Children enjoy reading and listening to stories throughout the day. Staff offer children a wide range of mark-making activities to support their early writing skills. However, on occasions, some staff do not support children's communication skills as effectively. They do not always use questioning well to generate discussion and/or encourage children to 'use their own words'.
• Staff place a great emphasis on healthy living and physical exercise. All children take part in a timetabled physical activity session every day. They play basketball, practise their bat and ball skills and spin a hoop round their body. They are well supported by staff who model for them, helping children to refine their skills.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. The manager works closely with external agencies to make sure that individual needs are identified early and targeted support plans are swiftly put in place. She provides ongoing support for parents, making sure that they understand their children's needs and how to support their development at home.
• Children across the setting are very focused when learning and demonstrate good concentration skills. They stay at activities for long periods of time, exploring resources and extending their own play.
• Parents are extremely positive about the setting and the care and attention their children receive from staff. They highlight how much progress their children have made over time. Parents appreciate the information they regularly receive about their children's progress and the ideas for how to support their learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen some staff's teaching skills, so that they understand how to extend children's learning more effectively
• develop staff's communication and language teaching further, to provide children with increased opportunities to talk and practise their spoken English skills.