Rudloe Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they feel safe and secure as they confidently separate from their parents and enter this welcoming pre-school. They are keen to choose their activities, and some choose to paint at the easel together, talking about their creations. Other children explore the sand in the 'tuff tray', scooping the sand and making towers with blocks and showing good hand-to-eye coordination. Older children show staff the letter sounds and numbers that they recognise on the blocks, demonstrating that they have consolidated what they have already learned.

Children have plenty of opportunities to revisit and talk about what they have learned. Staff encourage them to recall the importance of cleaning their teeth during games, stories and a dental activity. Children remember and talk about what they know. Staff have high expectations of the children. They remind children of the rules, such as walking when indoors. Children show that they enjoy taking responsibility when they help tidy away the toys for lunch.

Children benefit from very positive partnerships with parents. Parents report that, although they cannot enter the pre-school due to the COVID-19 pandemic, communication with key staff is good. They say that they know what their children are learning and their individual targets. Parents state they receive ideas on how to continue learning at home, which supports a consistent approach towards children's learning.

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

• The manager and staff have received support and training from the local authority and improved practice since the last inspection. Staff know the children's individual learning needs well, along with their interests and what they need to learn next. Staff provide activities to meet children's specific needs, such as small-group activities for children who are less confident socially. Staff monitor the progress of children who speak English as an additional language, to check their language development. This means gaps in children's development are closing and they all make good progress through the areas of learning.
• Children's behaviour is very good. Staff praise the children for their acts of kindness, which this helps to boost their self-esteem. Children sit and play games and demonstrate that they are learning to wait their turn.
• Overall, the programme for communication and language is good. Children enthusiastically join in with stories and songs and have lots of conversations with adults and other children. They grow in confidence when speaking in group situations and share their personal news, telling the group 'It is my dog's birthday today'. At times, staff do not give children enough time to think and respond to the questions they ask. This does not fully promote children's ability to express themselves and their own ideas.
• Children learn the importance of healthy lifestyles. Staff teach them about the importance of oral health and about healthy food and drinks. Children develop appropriate self-care skills and put on their coats and boots when going outside. Staff work effectively with parents to support them to toilet train their children in readiness for going to school.
• Children are keen to go outside and play in the fresh air. They use a variety of equipment to develop their physical skills. Children ride around on tricycles and negotiate space well. Others kick and throw balls and use the climbing wall and beams to develop their balancing skills. Children show that they enjoy being physically exuberant.
• Children show that they are developing good literacy skills. They enjoy looking at books and listening to stories. Children have lots of opportunities to strengthen their muscles in readiness for early writing. They draw, paint and use a variety of tools and malleable materials with confidence. At times, staff do not monitor some children's engagement in activities. This means children are occasionally wandering around and some opportunities to challenge and extend learning are lost.
• The manager and staff reflect on practice and attend training to make improvements. Staff have attended letters and sounds training and use this to promote older children's literacy skills to support them for when they go to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff understand the importance of giving children more time to think about and answer their questions, to enable them to express their thoughts and ideas more effectively
• monitor children's engagement in activities to offer more consistent challenge to their learning.