Pippin Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and separate from their parents confidently. They greet each other and staff enthusiastically. Children understand the pre-school routines and instinctively know what room their day starts in. Staff teach children to play collaboratively and treat each other with kindness and respect. For example, they listen to each other's opinions and work together to build a ladder for the outdoor play equipment. Children enjoy using their imagination at the pre-school. They dress up as superheroes and pretend to save their friends. Children behave well and remind their friends of the pre-school's 'superhero' rules.

Staff get to know children well. They plan their teaching to support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, children make good progress. Staff plan varied experiences for the children to ignite their curiosity. For example, children eagerly take part in an underwater scavenger hunt where they search for sea creatures hidden around the room. Staff help children to understand the intended learning first. For example, they model how to correctly hold scissors before cutting the paper. When children struggle, staff help children to gain resilience and confidence in their own abilities as they encourage them to try again with their support.

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

• Since the last inspection, the pre-school has made significant improvements. The leadership team and staff have worked closely with the local authority to raise quality across the pre-school. There is a culture of reflective practice and continuous professional development. Staff talk about being well supported. Leaders regularly observe staff interacting with children and provide them with feedback to help them to improve their teaching. There is a clear vision for the future, and everyone is working towards the same goal.
• The leadership team and staff plan a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum. Staff talk about planning activities that build on children's prior knowledge and skills. Occasionally, staff identify too many learning intentions to work on in a single activity. Staff then lose focus, children's attention is not sustained and the intended learning outcome is not always achieved.
• Children are developing their independence skills as they make choices about their play. They enjoy selecting their snack and pouring their own drinks. At times, older children are not encouraged to have a go at simple tasks for themselves, such as opening the packaging of the food in their lunch boxes or putting on aprons.
• Opportunities for children to develop their communication and language skills are good. Staff read a range of stories and help children to retell the story. They are receptive to what children say. For example, after reading a familiar book about animals in the zoo, children talk about the pets they have at home. This helps children to become confident in initiating discussions. Older children share their knowledge of letter sounds as they move marbles around letter-shaped trays.
• Children develop their physical skills. For example, in the outdoor area, children use ride-on toys, pour water through pipes and dig in the sand. They benefit from a range of extra opportunities the pre-school offers. For example, they watch a chrysalis emerge as a butterfly. Children enjoy taking care of the plants in the garden. Staff support them to develop their knowledge and understanding of the natural world.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school and the caring staff. They comment on how well their children are developing. Parents value the regular updates on the pre-school's achievements since the last inspection. They feel well informed about how to support their children's learning at home.
• The SEND coordinator ensures that children with SEND have detailed learning plans. This system of regularly reviewing targets helps to support all children to make good progress. Staff use additional funding well to meet children's needs.
• Children eligible for additional funding through the early years pupil premium get the support they need. For example, staff have put together learning packs to help the children who will soon be starting school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase staff confidence in how to identify more precisely what they want children to learn from an activity so that the teaching matches the intention
• strengthen opportunities for children to further develop their independence.