Schorne Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's developmental and emotional needs are at the heart of all that the manager and staff do. The manager sees the potential in all children and is fully committed to ensuring children can achieve to their very best during their time at pre-school. Staff share the same vision.

Staff have built a curriculum that gives children the skills and dispositions they need for their future learning. Children learn a lot and also learn to love learning. Staff carefully, and expertly, weave children's individual learning needs into the broader curriculum. Staff's support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exemplary. All children receive highly effective teaching, with an extremely well-considered programme of adult-led and child-initiated learning experiences. All children thrive, in regard to both their learning and emotional well-being.

Children delight in the warm, cosy and welcoming environment. They show they feel completely safe and secure. This sense of security gives them the confidence to explore and have a go, safe in the knowledge that staff will praise their efforts and help them when needed. Children are taught extremely effectively how to consider the needs of others, and be helpful, kind and considerate. The simple and effective 'five rules' approach adopted by staff really helps children to behave well.

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

• The manager modestly and diligently leads her team to be the best they can be. She empowers staff to contribute their ideas. This results in a culture where new ideas are embraced, reflected upon, and used to enhance further what the team already does so well. This constant focus on ensuring the very best for each child ensures exemplary standards of care and education are maintained.
• Children with SEND receive superb support. The manager is passionate about providing a truly inclusive service, equally welcoming to all families and children. Staff work closely with families and other professionals to ensure this is able to happen. The manager uses additional funding extremely effectively to meet children's individual needs. Staff expertly plan and deliver additional experiences some children need. For example, staff plan activities specifically to help children play purposefully or communicate their needs. Because staff teach these skills so well, children gain the skills and confidence they need to join in with other children and other activities.
• Staff are especially effective at identifying which skills are best taught in a focused way and which can be taught in more informal ways. For example, they plan a detailed programme of activities that help children gain the focus and concentration they need to fully participate in larger group times. This approach is extremely successful at ensuring children can get the most from their time at pre-school.
• Children are lively and energetic. They are also very well behaved. Staff are highly effective at embedding routines, so that children understand what is going to happen next. Children listen to staff and swiftly and happily cooperate with requests. This ensures a very happy and purposeful environment.
• Staff make excellent use of the local area to enrich children's experiences. Staff help children contribute to village life and feel part of the local community. This all adds to children's sense of belonging and value.
• The manager and staff treat all children with great respect. They also teach children to show the same respect to others, regardless of any differences there may be between their lived experiences. Children are routinely introduced to cultures and ways of living that may differ from their own. The manager is fully committed to helping all children grow into open-minded young citizens, fully ready for life in modern Britain.
• Parents are full of praise for the staff at pre-school. Staff value and respect all parents, and offer an abundance of help and advice as they navigate parenthood and all the challenges that can bring. Staff recognise that different parents need different support at different times. They treat all parents as individuals, in the same way as they do each child.