Rillington Pre-School Playgroup

Inclusion: Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are welcomed and valued as individuals. Leaders have established clear systems to identify children's needs early. Regular assessment and ongoing monitoring ensure that any emerging gaps in learning are identified swiftly and addressed through targeted support.

Practitioners use a graduated approach to support children. They implement reasonable adjustments and adapt activities so that children can access learning alongside their peers. As a result, children with additional needs are fully included and develop secure relationships with adults and other children.

Leaders work closely with families and external professionals to shape tailored support plans. They review children's progress carefully and adjust strategies to ensure interventions are having the intended impact. Disadvantaged children benefit from well-considered use of funding. For example, targeted support in communication helps children develop confidence in expressing their needs.

Staff understand children's individual starting points and adapt teaching responsively. This ensures that children who face barriers to learning make secure progress and are well prepared for their next steps.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that builds children's knowledge and skills securely over time. Staff consistently use purposeful, high-quality interactions to extend children's thinking and deepen their understanding. They know children exceptionally well and tailor teaching precisely to children's individual needs, abilities and stages of development.

Staff extend play thoughtfully, providing sustained challenge so that children build on what they already know and can do. Teaching is responsive and skilful. Staff draw on their strong understanding of child development to adapt learning in the moment, ensuring that activities remain meaningful and accessible for all children.

Daily routines are used deliberately to strengthen learning. For example, at snack time, children develop independence and physical coordination as they pour their own drinks and use open cups. Leaders prioritise mathematical understanding across the curriculum. Practitioners weave mathematical language seamlessly into play, introducing increasingly complex concepts so that children develop confidence and enjoyment in mathematics.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make substantial and sustained progress from their starting points across the 7 areas of learning. They develop particularly strong communication and language skills, confidently articulating their ideas, negotiating with their peers and engaging in extended conversations. Children apply their mathematical knowledge with assurance, using number, comparison and calculation within their play and solving simple problems.

Disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve highly. Any gaps in learning are identified swiftly and diminish securely over time. Children build the secure foundations they need for future learning, including strong personal, social and emotional development.

Children demonstrate high levels of independence, resilience and sustained concentration. They approach new experiences with curiosity and confidence. By the time they move on to school, they are very well prepared for the next stage in their education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have established a culture of kindness, care and mutual respect. Expectations for behaviour are clear, consistently reinforced and understood by children. As a result, children demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning. They approach activities with confidence, curiosity and sustained concentration.

Relationships between practitioners and children are warm and secure. Staff model respectful communication and support children to manage their emotions effectively. When minor disagreements arise, practitioners guide children to listen to one another and find solutions independently. Children learn to cooperate, share resources and take turns, developing positive social skills.

Well-established routines provide children with security and predictability. Transitions are calm and purposeful, enabling children to remain focused and engaged in their learning. Practitioners consider children's individual needs and stages of development when reinforcing expectations, ensuring that all children can meet the setting's high standards.

Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance and punctuality through clear communication with families. Children's behaviour, resilience and positive attitudes reflect the setting's consistent and embedded approach.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are prioritised throughout the setting. Practitioners develop warm, secure relationships with children, ensuring they feel safe, valued and emotionally supported. Children confidently seek reassurance and support from familiar adults, demonstrating strong attachments and a secure sense of belonging.

Effective care practices meet children's individual needs. Staff work closely with parents to share information and ensure routines, including eating, rest and personal care, are consistent and responsive. This partnership helps children settle quickly and feel secure.

Staff support children to understand how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Children learn to manage risks appropriately during play, develop independence in self-care routines and make healthy choices. Staff help children to recognise and express their emotions, supporting them to develop positive friendships and manage feelings successfully.

The environment is warm and welcoming, promoting children's confidence and wellbeing. As a result, children demonstrate happiness, independence and positive relationships, enabling them to thrive both within the setting and beyond.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have established a culture of high expectations and professionalism across the setting. They have an accurate and reflective understanding of the setting's strengths and priorities for further development. Through regular monitoring, evaluation and professional discussion, leaders identify areas for improvement and take effective action to enhance the quality of education and care children receive.

Leaders make decisions that place children's needs at the centre of their work, particularly for those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They maintain clear oversight of practice and provide consistent guidance to staff, ensuring that high standards of care and learning are sustained.

Professional development is prioritised and closely linked to the setting's priorities. Staff benefit from regular, targeted training, strengthening their knowledge of child development and supporting consistently effective practice. Leaders are mindful of staff wellbeing and workload, ensuring expectations are manageable and staff feel supported in their roles.

Leaders work effectively with families and external professionals to support children and improve outcomes. As a result, leadership and governance make a sustained and positive difference to children's experiences, learning and development.