Plough Green Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are extremely calm and encourage children to do their very best. This makes children feel safe and it motivates them to learn exceedingly well. The impact of this is evident on children, particularly boys, who have developed a love of early writing. Staff are superb at helping children to regulate their feelings and emotions. They know some children respond to praise and encouragement, while others need an 'interest box' to help change their emotional responses. Children often remind each other that 'we have to share', without being prompted by staff.

Staff are very good at developing children's language skills. For example, during group time, they use visual cards and sign language to great effect. In addition, staff allow children to share their thoughts and check their understanding. This helps to consolidate children's learning. Children are equally very happy learning outdoors. They enjoy listening to stories being read to them or making concoctions at the mud kitchen. Staff supervise children extremely well. They know when to intervene in children's play and when to offer them support. This is particularly evident as children play in muddy puddles. These experiences empower children to persevere, think and solve problems for themselves.

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

• The management team is relentless in their pursuit of excellence. They are involved in various innovative and pilot schemes to achieve better outcomes for children. This enables staff, parents and other professionals to establish a consistent approach to children's care and education.
• Staff are highly skilled in recognising children who are at risk of falling behind. For example, following the COVID-19 pandemic, they observed that some children had language and social difficulties and offered them extra support. As a result, children whom staff have concerns about and those who speak English as an additional language, make remarkable progress from their starting points. Equally, staff are highly effective in supporting children who are less confident. They challenge these children to express themselves as freely as possible.
• The management team implements robust recruitment procedures to check staff's suitability to work with children. They take pride in offering staff high-quality support. Staff receive rigorous tests on their safeguarding knowledge. In turn, they are fully aware of how to identify and report any concerns to relevant agencies. Staff are excellent at protecting children's safety without limiting their independence skills. They talk positively about the frequent opportunities to enhance their pedagogical skills. For example, following training, staff have adopted a more equity-based approach to ensure that children, regardless of background, achieve their full potential.
• Staff offer children a broad and rich curriculum. They teach children about the wider world and organise events to enable them to spend time, such as with a therapy dog and farm animals. For some children this is their first hands-on experience and they benefit greatly from this. Children learn how to behave safely around animals.
• Staff form strong attachments with children. This has a significant impact on children's emotional well-being. Staff are extremely conscientious in promoting children's physical health. For instance, as soon as they find out that a child has a medical condition, they complete specialist training so that they know what to do if a health emergency occurs.
• The management team makes superb use of additional funding to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children. For instance, they purchase outdoor equipment to benefit children with weak physical strength. Children gain high levels of confidence in their physical abilities.
• The management team communicates high expectations for all. They are highly effective in their evaluation of the setting. The management is currently reviewing the already excellent communication with parents, so that they can offer them a more bespoke service. Parents and grandparents are unanimous in their praise of the setting. One parent sums up the views of many saying that 'I truly think you are all amazing and incredible at what you do.'