Robin Preschool

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff regularly monitor all children's progress. This allows them to identify any gaps in children's development early. Leaders and staff have an extensive knowledge of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use this expertise to implement individual plans for those who require additional support. For example, leaders provide one-to-one support for children to help them engage in play. This is evident as children smile and giggle with joy while looking in the mirror with their key persons. These individual plans have a positive impact on children's wellbeing.

Leaders are committed to ensuring that disadvantaged children receive the additional funding they need. This enables staff and leaders to plan a tailored curriculum that supports children's next steps in development effectively. For example, staff provide climbing equipment for children who are not yet able to climb the steps to a slide. This support helps children to develop confidence in their physical skills.

Leaders engage effectively with parents and carers from the outset, and parents value the emotional and professional support they receive. Furthermore, leaders work closely with multi-professionals, such as the local authority, to ensure that children receive swift and tailored support to help them make progress in their development.

Leaders ensure that all staff receive quality training to support children with SEND. For example, staff explain how their recent training around interaction activities has helped them to engage children in joint play, such as visits to the forest school. This means that all children access a varied curriculum.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Overall, the curriculum is well designed across all areas of learning and development. Leaders ensure that it is generally taught effectively. For example, staff encourage children to put on their wet suits independently, promoting their physical development. However, the high-quality curriculum and expectations for all children are not yet fully embedded across the pre-school. At times, some staff do not adapt their approach in the moment to respond to children's needs. For instance, during forest school, children sit on logs looking around without engaging in the activity. Staff do not consistently take prompt and effective action. Leaders and those in governance are aware of this and have detailed plans in place to drive improvement across the curriculum and teaching.

Staff support children's mathematical development effectively. They skilfully integrate mathematics into all areas of the pre-school. For example, children happily mix a bowl of gingerbread men in the role-play area and excitedly discuss with staff how many they have. Mathematical learning is evident throughout the setting, from sounding out rhythms in names to measuring sticks at forest school. As a result, children develop a solid foundation in mathematical concepts, preparing them well for future learning.

Staff plan a curriculum that supports children's communication and language development well. They use assessments to check what children already know and can do. In addition, they use a language screening tool to regularly assess all children's skills and implement targeted strategies for those who require additional support. For example, during group time, staff help children with speech delays by using exaggerated gestures and actions alongside songs, enabling them to learn and engage.

Staff prioritise children's social and emotional development. For instance, they quickly recognise when some children need quiet cuddles and offer them one-to-one time with their key person. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

Achievement: Expected standard

Most children make secure progress in their learning and development, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those previously known to social care. For example, children who initially arrived at the pre-school crawling, with limited physical skills, now confidently climb and navigate the climbing equipment independently in the garden, demonstrating significant progress. However, due to some inconsistencies in the curriculum and teaching, not all children consistently make consistent progress towards their next developmental steps.

Children with delays in their speech and language development participate in activities enthusiastically, loudly repeating familiar phrases. As a result, children are well prepared for school when the time comes.

Children follow instructions well and benefit from staff using Makaton and gesture to support them to understand. Children are confident. For example, they choose characters out of a box at group time. Children have a solid foundation in social skills. For example, they join in with their friends as they take items, sing together and follow the actions to songs. Children, including those with barriers to learning, know familiar rhymes and can repeat familiar phrases. They have a wide vocabulary.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff consistently help children to focus on what is important. For example, they recognise that children need to learn to look and listen before they can follow instructions. Staff consider children's age and stage of development, their individual needs and circumstances when supporting them to maintain the expectations of the setting. For example, staff shake a tambourine and ask children to stop, look and point to their eyes. Children listen while pointing to their ears. They respond happily and are then able to follow subsequent instructions with ease. This approach helps children to develop essential listening skills that they will need for their future learning.

Leaders have established a very harmonious and respectful culture. Staff and children have secure and caring relationships. Children are increasingly able to manage their own feelings. Staff consistently support them to demonstrate their best behaviour. For example, when children begin waving large sticks in the air, staff skilfully guide them to measure the sticks against their arms to check the size. Children quickly recognise when a stick is too large, and staff support them by holding on to it while they continue searching for smaller ones. As a result, children are learning how to manage their own behaviour.

Children excitedly engage in games and activities collaboratively. For example, they work together enthusiastically to pump water in the garden. Staff support this collaboration by asking children for their ideas and how they think they can make the water flow even further. This helps children to develop excellent social skills and interact well with one another.

Staff regularly review and recognise the importance of children's attendance at the pre-school. For example, they swiftly identify when some children are not making the expected progress in their development. To address this promptly, leaders proactively secure additional funding for some disadvantaged children to attend more sessions. As a result, children have positive attendance at the pre-school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop secure attachments and a deep sense of belonging. They form warm and positive relationships with their key persons. For example, staff recognise when children with SEND are reluctant to join a group activity and understand that they may want to practise walking instead. Staff support and promote the children's wellbeing exceptionally well.

Staff sequence the physical development curriculum effectively. They provide children with numerous opportunities to practise and develop their physical skills. For example, children enjoy pushing wheeled bicycles, climbing frames and navigating the forest school environment independently. Staff explain that they prioritise the development of children's large muscle skills before focusing on their fine motor skills, such as grasping a pencil. This approach ensures that children acquire the physical abilities they need for future learning.

Staff remain at the children's level, actively engaging in their play, which allows them to recognise when additional support is needed. For example, when staff notice children known to social services who require emotional support, they take them to a quiet area, read stories and offer gentle cuddles. This approach helps to nurture and strengthen children's emotional wellbeing. However, at times, staff do not have the same level of responsiveness to all children within all experiences.

Staff expertly teach children to develop an understanding of their personal safety. For instance, they teach children how to measure sticks against their arms, and children know they can play with sticks that are shorter than their arm only. This helps children to learn how to keep themselves safe.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for improvement. They take appropriate action to drive progress. When improvements are needed, leaders' actions are timely and effective. For example, leaders organised focused training for staff after recognising that some were not yet able to fully support children who struggle with emotional regulation. This training has helped staff to become more consistent in supporting children's behaviour. However, although leaders have identified areas for improvement, they have not yet ensured that all staff consistently make a significant positive impact on every child's learning.

Leaders and those responsible for governance are committed to making decisions in the best interests of children, particularly those who face barriers to learning. They engage with parents and carers and professionals in a thoughtful and positive manner. For example, leaders hold termly parent support and information sessions to ensure that parents have the knowledge needed to support their children's development effectively. In addition, they help families to access additional funding to provide children with extra sessions or equipment to support their next steps in learning.

Leaders support staff's wellbeing and workload effectively. Staff report that leaders regularly check on their wellbeing and help them with any support they may need.