Selsdon Park Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and parents are welcomed by extremely enthusiastic and caring staff. They eagerly join activities with excitement as they celebrate World Book Day. Children confidently talk about their costumes and favourite books throughout the day, which promotes a love of reading. Staff have high expectations for children's learning. They knowledgably talk about how much progress they have made since starting the pre-school.

Staff plan a wide range of activities to capture children's interests. They relish using real knives to cut mint in the home corner and fruit at snack time. This further supports skills for later life. Children have extreme fun navigating the room using cars and bikes on a track. They recall their learning on road safety as they stop to let other children cross the road. Children explore their imagination as staff extend learning from a book about witches, using brooms to fly and make potions.

Leaders and staff create an atmosphere that promotes good expected behaviour. Children learn rules and discuss emotions every day, supporting them to be considerate towards others. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds and with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are provided with tailored support. Staff work extremely closely with these families to ensure children make timely progress.

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

• Leaders have established a curriculum that is sequenced well and sparks children's interests. Children take part in a risky play experiment using candle flames to make bubbly potions. This helps to ignite curiosity and their awe and wonder. Staff constantly build on children's communication and language skills through rhymes and encountering a wide range of books. Staff read with great intonation and add props to build children's engagement and imagination.
• Children experience a strong programme of activities that enhances their skills and knowledge, learning about people and communities outside of their own. They take trips to the local opticians, estate agents and library, alongside learning about people who help them, such as fire fighters. The dentist regularly visits the pre-school to support children with their oral health, this helps to embed essential skills for the future.
• Children use technology, such as a laptop, tablet and an interactive globe with supervision, this aids their understanding of the world. Staff skilfully teach mathematics in a fun way as children use scales to weigh rainbow coloured rice. They develop a good grounding of early mathematics as they count and use language around weight and size.
• Physical development skills are consistently and appropriately challenged.
• Children concentrate intensely as they manipulate slime and use fine motor skills on a lock and key game. Staff provide children with healthy snacks and encourage discussions about the benefits of leading healthy lifestyles. This further supports the development of positive habits.
• Staff have built secure loving relationships with children. This contributes to the family feel of the pre-school. Leaders and staff are highly ambitious with their support for children with SEND and use additional funding with purpose. Staff work in partnership with professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to implement targeted plans. They consistently use visual aids and sign language to help children express themselves. Children make good progress and thrive.
• Leaders prioritise staff well-being with regular morning check ins and supervisions. They place a strong emphasis on professional development and staff have attended a variety of courses, to strengthen the quality of teaching. However, leaders have not identified that some staff training has not been fully embedded, in order to ensure all teaching quality is at the same level.
• Parents and carers express how happy they are with the pre-school and leaders and staff establish strong relationships with them. They are kept well informed about their child's day, alongside ongoing progress through an online system. Parents highly value staff's time and guidance, including activities to extend learning at home, such as busy bags. Parents of children with SEND applaud staff for their dedication and how their children are flourishing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• monitor the impact of training and professional development opportunities offered to staff so that the quality of teaching is improved.