Roxmead Nursery South Harrow

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff create a calm and relaxing atmosphere in the pre-school. They are positive role models and have high expectations of all children. Children settle very well and separate easily from their parents. They demonstrate positive relationships with staff. For example, they come for comfort and reassurance, when needed. Children feel safe and secure, as staff are welcoming and very caring towards them.

Leaders design their curriculum based on children's interests and learning needs. For example, children learn about an upcoming festival as staff read books to them about their favourite characters celebrating Diwali. Overall, staff have a secure knowledge of the children's needs and what they want them to learn. They praise children for their efforts. This helps them to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Staff use information gathered through observations of all children to provide meaningful experiences to help extend children's learning even further. Overall, all children make good progress from their starting points.

Children show positive attitudes to learning. They happily join in with a wide range of stimulating activities provided. Children behave very well. Staff encourage children to share, take turns and be kind to one another. Children recall the pre-school's 'golden rules' and boundaries and many know exactly what is expected of them.

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

• Communication and language development is a strong focus of the pre-school. Staff support children to extend their vocabulary and engage them in regular conversations. They use visual aids, such as visual timetables, and gestures to enhance children's understanding of what happens next. This helps children who speak English as an additional language to become confident talkers.
• Staff prepare children for the next stages of their learning and development. For example, children practise their self-care skills as they wash their hands, try to put their coats on before going outdoors and help to clean after mealtimes. This supports their independence and helps them gain a sense of responsibility.
• Staff are enthusiastic and very keen to engage with children. However, on occasion, staff focus on the end product of the activity and not on individual children's learning. This means that, at times, some elements of the learning are rushed, and staff do not maximise learning opportunities for all children.
• Children benefit from daily fresh air and play in the outdoor areas. Children enjoy participating in a range of physical activities supporting their balancing, jumping and climbing. Children play with water, even on rainy days. However, on occasion staff do not extend children's learning as they get wet, and some try to drink water from a tray. Staff do not explain how this could be harmful to their physical health.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to strengthen their small muscles through mark making and messy play. Children experience different textures. They explore baking ingredients as they make dough. They make candle holders out of clay and decorate them with colourful paints. This helps children to practise their use of one-handed tools and learn about the use of different materials.
• Staff teach children good early mathematical skills. For example, older children practise counting and recognise numerals. Staff use mathematical language to extend children's narratives as they build buses out of huge wooden blocks.
• Staff feel valued and benefit from regular supervision meetings. Leaders evaluate staff performance and provide them with opportunities to further their professional development through regular training and mentoring. This leads to improvements in the quality of education the pre-school offers to children.
• Staff provide effective support for children who need additional help to ensure they achieve as much as possible. They work with parents and other agencies to provide continuity of learning and to make sure that children benefit from funding, where applicable.
• Parents speak highly of the caring staff. They say that staff keep them well informed about their children's progress. Parents speak about the help that the pre-school provides for them and how staff signpost them for support available in the local area, when needed.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus more precisely on the key skills children need to learn, to ensure their individual learning is maximised
• support children to gain further understanding of practices that contribute to their good health.