Shoreham Preschool LTD

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have developed highly effective systems that ensure children's individual needs are identified promptly. For example, they assess children's stage of learning when they first start and engage with parents to understand children's previous experiences to plan for what they need to know next. Staff get to know children remarkably well and ensure that secure support is in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff are highly in tune with children's age and stage of development and recognise how to appropriately adapt activities so that all children can benefit from learning experiences. Leaders provide staff with access to specific training to enhance their awareness of children's different needs and increase their understanding of how to implement effective strategies to support children with SEND.

Leaders also identify other groups of children that may need additional support, such as those who are known or previously known to children's social care, children with English as an additional language or children that face other barriers to their wellbeing.

Leaders establish secure partnerships with other professionals to support them to implement effective interventions that ensure children's continued progress. Through this highly inclusive practice, staff make an impactful difference to children's outcomes.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that fully engages children and follows their interests. Staff promote a sharp focus on communication and language throughout all their interactions. They adapt their teaching appropriately to children's different ages to fully support all children's oral language and comprehension. Staff use all opportunities to engage in close and purposeful interactions with children.

Staff generally understand the curriculum well and know what they want children to know and do before they go to school. For example, they implement activities that fully enhance children's love of stories, rhymes and books. Children enjoy engaging story times and enriching music and movement sessions.

Children also build excellent physical skills as they explore the outdoor play space. Staff set-up challenging obstacle courses and encourage children as they climb, skip, jump and crawl around different equipment. Staff recognise the importance of supporting children movement and developing muscle strength for children of different ages.

At times, explicit teaching of mathematics is less consistent. This has been identified by leaders and improvement plans are in place to further strengthen the implementation of the mathematics curriculum through training and monitoring. However, these are not yet fully implemented to have a maximum impact on the quality of mathematics teaching.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education. They benefit from a broad curriculum that extends their experiences. Children are confident communicators. They build secure language skills that enable them to ask questions and initiate conversations with peers and adults. They speak about knowledge they have gained from activities, such as how strawberries grow and the life cycle of a butterfly.

Children gain secure independence skills. They learn to tend to their own care needs by themselves, such as using the toilet and washing their hands. Children also pour their own drinks at snack times and try hard to peel fruits.

Children build a secure love of books and stories. They enjoy talking about them and listen intently when enthusiastic staff read to them. Children also learn to explore with a range of mark making equipment that develops their interest in drawing and writing.

Although children gain generally gain an understanding of numbers and counting, teaching is not yet promoting the highest rates of progress in the mathematics area of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff and children are highly respectful of one another and relationships are remarkably positive. For example, children seek out staff for comfort and reassurance when they need support to regulate their emotions. Staff promote children's understanding of different rules and responsibilities. Children demonstrate a secure understanding of this. They use sand timers appropriately and tidy up their toys after playing with them. Staff adapt their approach to expectations to ensure they are delivered in an age and stage appropriate way.

Children have highly positive attitudes to learning. They engage in activities happily and enjoy interactions from staff who know them well. Staff support children to learn secure social skills such as sharing and taking turns. As a result, children play harmoniously. For example, they collaboratively play group games with one another and understand how to wait their turn.

Leaders have developed a robust approach to attendance. They work closely with families who may face barriers to their attendance. Leaders highlight the importance of punctuality and regular attendance with parents to help children learn about routines in preparation for school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders promote an environment that is inclusive and fully supports children's welfare and wellbeing. The curriculum focuses on developing children's sense of identity so that they feel valued as an individual. Children feel safe with nurturing staff that know them well. They settle quickly when they arrive and have access to a broad range of activities that have been set-up to engage children's specific interests.

Hygiene routines are carried out with the utmost care and respect. Staff talk kindly with children about changing their nappies. They ensure that these sensitive interactions are language rich throughout as they chat and giggle with children.

Children have continuous access to the inspiring outdoor environment. Leaders have been mindful to represent areas of learning in all spaces in the provision, to support those who might learn better outside.

Staff support children to develop secure independence skills. Children learn about their own health and begin to make healthy decisions for themselves. For example, they recognise the importance of brushing their teeth and the impact that a high sugar diet might have on their health.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about the high quality, inclusive education they provide at their setting. They have been working closely with families to further enhance the effectiveness of their partnerships with parents. As a result, parents explain that they feel extremely well informed about children's progress and know what they are currently working on in the setting. Staff also support parents to extend this learning at home. Leaders have also ensured that these valuable partnerships with parents allow them to gather meaningful feedback to continually drive forward improvements.

Leaders are extremely mindful of staff well-being. They have created an open culture where staff feel that they can share any concerns about workload or responsibilities if they need to. Staff also discuss how their professional development is well supported by leaders. For example, staff receive specific training to help them to understand how to use different teaching strategies, to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders effectively identify improvement priorities across the provision and take action to continually strengthen the education delivered to children.

Leaders develop secure channels of communication with other professionals. For example, they work closely with local schools and special educational needs co-coordinators to ensure all children receive the right support for their transition for school. Leaders have also established partnerships with other professionals involved in children's care to ensure they consistently receive a shared approach to their education and care.