Roydon Pre-School C.I.C

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are content and happy at this welcoming setting. They form secure relationships with the kind and caring staff team. Staff make best use of the initial and ongoing information they obtain from parents to plan a meaningful curriculum around children's interests and developmental needs. All children make good progress in their learning and development. They show high levels of engagement as they enjoy exploring and experimenting how to use a rich range of objects in several small suitcases containing sand. Children are independent for their age. They manage their own care needs with minimal support and persevere at tasks, such as putting on and taking off their coats.

Children are given the time to develop their critical thinking skills. They work out how to pour water into their chosen container when it runs out. Staff's effective use of questions encourage children to express their thoughts and ideas, these are truly valued by staff and used to help embed previous knowledge. Children remember a story set in Africa and pretend they are travelling there by train. They discuss the animals native to Africa and learn that giraffes, and other characters in stories have the same colour tongue. Staff are positive role models and consistently implement the setting's rules. This helps children to understand the high expectations in place.

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

• Leaders implement a well-sequenced curriculum for children. This places an emphasis on supporting children to be respectful individuals and articulate communicators. Staff have a detailed understanding of what their key children know and what they can do. They plan a variety of exciting activities that strengthen children's sense of belonging in the local community. These experiences also inspire curiosity and a sense of wonder about the wider world. For example, children visit the local farm and learn about the life cycle of crops, they also experience travelling on a train to a country park to observe wooden sculptures of insects. Regular visits from members of the community support children's understanding of different occupations and cultures. However, children who prefer to learn outdoors while at the setting are not supported as well. This is because staff do not yet apply the same level of consideration to the planning and provision of activities outdoors.
• Partnerships with parents and other providers that children attend are strong. There is a good two-way flow of communication. Staff consistently keep parents fully informed of their child's good progress and opportunities to support learning at home, such as online workshops that replicate the same strategies used in the setting to enhance children's communication and language. Parents have a real sense of belonging at the setting. They speak very highly of the staff team and the provision they provide. Parents comment how impressed they are with the 'nurturing environment'.
• Staff successfully support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work in close partnership with other professionals and the local authority to implement specific strategies. This enables them to make good progress in relation to their starting points. There is a strong commitment to inclusion. Staff ensure that children in receipt of additional funding benefit from initiatives that provide them with the experiences they need.
• Staff inspire children to keep active and develop good physical skills. Children enjoy climbing trees and swinging on a tyre in the outdoor area. Indoors, children explore moving their body in different ways to music. Staff empower children to assess their own risks. Children learn about where food comes from. They plant and nurture a range of fruit and vegetables at a nearby allotment area. Children harvest the produce when ready and use these in baking activities. Overall, snack and mealtimes are a social experience. Staff sit with children at lunchtime, however, they miss opportunities to build on children's growing understanding of how the food they eat benefits their body and encourage healthy eating choices.
• The calm and organised environment supports children to behave well. They show respect towards each other and staff. For example, during small-group activities they know to wait for their turn to speak. They listen well and eagerly respond to staff's instructions, such has helping to tidy away what they have finished playing with. Staff support children to flourish in their self-esteem and confidence through lots of positive praise for their achievements and carrying out age-appropriate responsibilities.
• Leaders and the staff team are dedicated to their roles, they consistently reflect on their practice. Staff supervision is effectively used to identify opportunities for ongoing professional development. Recent training has had a positive impact on helping children to express their feelings. Staff well-being is a priority.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the outdoor curriculum to fully support those children who prefer to learn outdoors
• build on learning opportunities as they arise to extend children's understanding of healthy choices.