River Mole Pre-School

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders recognise the importance of clear and consistent assessment to ensure that all children receive the right support. They identify children's individual needs quickly and take effective action to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. They communicate well with parents and carers to understand children's needs, providing guidance and support.

Leaders work closely with outside agencies and professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to develop strategies to support children in the setting. They access a wide range of training through an online portal and complete courses relevant to the specific needs of children in the setting. For example, staff have undertaken autism training and training to understand and support boys' behaviour. They have also completed sign language training to support all children's communication.

Leaders' use of funding has a positive impact on reducing barriers to learning. For example, they have created a nature sensory area in the garden and introduced discounted forest school sessions for disadvantaged children. These activities help to broaden children's experiences, deepen their understanding of the world and build their confidence. However, not all families have taken up the forest school offer, meaning that some children are not yet benefiting fully from the opportunities available.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders design a high-quality and ambitious curriculum with a focus on children's physical, personal, social and emotional development. Staff assess children's starting points in development. They tailor teaching so that every child makes steady progress. Staff select resources and activities carefully, using repetition to secure children's knowledge before introducing new skills.

Staff support all children with communication aids, such as visual cards. They introduce vocabulary through engaging activities, story times and rhymes. For example, staff encourage children to explore the smells of ginger and cinnamon. They compare the shape and size of their snowmen, discussing if they feel 'light' in weight. This supports children's mathematical knowledge.

Staff extend children's thinking with open questions, such as asking how they prefer to move rice during play. Children strengthen their fine motor skills with activities such as painting, using tweezers and clipping bulldog clips. They develop balance and coordination through active play, such as dancing, running, rolling balls down channels and yoga sessions. Staff use a library loan system and lively story times to encourage children to develop a love for stories. For instance, children roar as 'the Gruffalo' and predict what will happen next, developing their imaginations and strengthening their early reading skills.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children are well prepared for school and the next stage of their learning. A strong focus on the prime areas helps them to build firm foundations for future success. All children achieve well across all aspects of learning and make steady progress. When children have gaps in their development, they benefit from tailored small-group sessions. This helps to strengthen children's attention and listening, communication and language and mathematical understanding.

Children are highly independent and curious in their play. For example, they relish in opportunities to transfer the lentils in the tray into different-sized containers. They use tongs to add pom-poms and then show imagination as they serve this up as pretend biscuits to their friends. Children make choices, manage tasks and take responsibility for their learning. They grow in confidence, join in with activities and communicate effectively with staff and other children.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for behaviour, and this is supported by warm and nurturing relationships between staff and children. Staff consistently model kind and considerate behaviour and set clear routines to help children understand the expectations in the setting. This helps to create an excellent sense of harmony and shared responsibility. For example, children help to pack away when they hear the bell ring, understanding that this is a time to tidy up. They look after their toys and place aprons on the back of chairs when they have finished their creative activities.

Children have positive attitudes towards one another and their learning. They show patience and resilience during routines, such as waiting for a place at the snack table. They are very kind and respectful of one another. Children share resources, take turns and speak kindly without being prompted by staff.

Staff encourage cooperation, motivating children to enjoy shared experiences and successes. Children work well together to complete activities. For example, they join in together confidently and talk excitedly about the process of making their snowmen craft. These opportunities support children to thrive socially and prepare them very well for their future learning.

Leaders work closely with families to ensure that children attend regularly and arrive on time. This helps children to gain the maximum benefit from the setting and make steady progress in their learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff provide a safe, welcoming space where children feel valued and secure. Care practices, such as settling-in procedures, are effective in meeting all children's individual needs. Staff quickly form secure and responsive relationships with children. They respond sensitively to children's needs and create tailored support to help children feel safe and build on their confidence.

Staff promote healthy habits with activities, such as positive discussions around regular handwashing routines. They provide a wide variety of healthy and nutritious snacks. Staff encourage children to explore new foods and textures. Children begin to understand the importance of physical exercise. Staff provide engaging activities and resources that support children's gross and fine motor development, such as using a large open space where they can run and move around and regular dancing sessions. Children make patterns and shapes with their fingers in the rice and lentils. They push small toys and balls in water, pinching and moving them.

Staff encourage children to recognise, express and manage their emotions. They model positive behaviour, use stories and visuals and provide yoga and meditation sessions. This helps children to develop resilience and a secure sense of emotional wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

There have been significant changes to the senior management team recently, and leaders have responded swiftly and effectively by identifying new roles for staff. Leaders have taken on additional responsibilities, as well as completing training to enhance their own practice. They have identified clear priorities for improvement and are working well to address them. They recognise the need to support new leaders to be prepared well for their roles and duties. For example, they have organised training to strengthen new leaders' knowledge and skills and supported them to take on more responsibility in the setting.

Leaders have introduced a new system to involve all staff in monitoring all children's individual progress. This helps staff to have a shared understanding of each child's individual needs and respond quickly to any emerging gaps in learning.

Leaders are mindful of workload pressures and ensure that staff feel supported and happy in their roles. For example, they ensure that small-group teaching sessions are shared equally with staff. Leaders have regular chats with staff about their wellbeing. They hold supervision sessions to help staff identify training they would like to pursue. This support is reflected in staff's feedback, where they report enjoying their roles and feeling valued within the team.