Snowdrop Cottage Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and motivated, and they show a sense of belonging. They form close, trusting relationships with staff who make them feel safe and secure. Staff support children to become independent. They celebrate children's attempts when children try to do things for themselves, giving plenty of positive praise, which helps to raise children's self-esteem and build their confidence. Children say they 'like coming to the pre-school and make good friends'. Children benefit from spending time in the outdoor environment. They are physically active and routinely build strength and precision in the control of their bodies as they balance, climb, crawl and build throughout the day.

Staff deliver an ambitious curriculum that is designed to build on children's confidence, independence and resilience, helping them to prepare for the next stage of their education. They plan a curriculum that closely follows children's own choices and changing fascinations. Children are confident, resilient and curious in their play and are learning through the effective role modelling of the staff team. There is a robust key-person system, where children's next steps in learning are clearly identified and displayed. Staff know their key children well and tailor learning opportunities, such as games that focus on sharing and taking turns, to support children's learning and development.

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

• The setting works effectively with parents who speak highly of staff. From the start, they engage parents with their child's phased settling-in period and ongoing learning and development. Staff communicate with parents via telephone and daily discussions. Parents regularly attend the setting to share their child's learning and achievements. For example, parents have recently attended an art day to celebrate the children's artwork.
• Providers prioritise staff's well-being. They celebrate staff's achievements through 'wow' moments, which helps build staff's confidence. Staff work closely as a team, supporting the newest staff to improve practice, all of which creates a culture of teamwork and kindness. All staff take part in supervision meetings with the providers, who offer regular training to build their professional practice. For example, staff have completed training to develop a better understanding of how to teach children to manage their own feelings and mental well-being.
• Staff interact well with children during group activities. However, they do not always support children to consolidate their listening, attention and understanding as they occasionally do not allow children time to think before asking more questions.
• Children learn how to take turns. Staff respond swiftly when children need support to do this. Staff are consistent in their approach. This supports children to understand the pre-school rules effectively. Staff are gentle and fair in their communication with all children. This helps children to understand what is expected of them.
• Staff provide healthy food at mealtimes. Children try a wide range of foods with different textures and tastes. Younger children develop their control and coordination to use different tools to scoop and serve themselves lunch. All children follow good hygiene routines.
• Staff value diversity and encourage families to share their unique backgrounds. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Staff work closely with parents and external agencies to support children to make the best possible progress.
• Staff's observations and assessments of children's learning and development are accurate and focused. This provides staff with the necessary information to plan what children need to learn next. This helps to ensure that any gaps in children's learning close promptly.
• The providers show commitment to their role and to ensuring good outcomes for children. They reflect on the provision and gather the views of staff and parents regularly. Changes to how the nursery is organised are made with children's best interests in mind.
• Children have good opportunities to make choices about where and who they play with. They take part in a range of child-initiated play and adult-led learning. However, on occasions, adult-led learning is not sharply focused to enable the older children to fully understand what is expected of them and achieve in what they do.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• allow children time to consolidate their thinking during activities before asking them more questions to help support their listening, attention and understanding even further
• ensure that adult-led learning is sharply focused to enable the older children to fully understand what is expected of them and help them to achieve.