Southam Primary Pre School LTD

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are very welcoming. A strong key-person system is in place, which helps children feel secure and safe. Children enjoy reassuring cuddles when they are upset, which helps them settle more easily. They self-register and show their growing independence, in preparation for their transition to school.

Leaders have designed an engaging curriculum, which they implement very well. Children enjoy a variety of experiences that encourage them to spend time outside and explore the world around them. They observe the growth of vegetables and herbs, and begin to understand the life cycle of insects such as butterflies. Children excitedly explore the garden for minibeasts, looking under logs and bushes with magnifying glasses. Additionally, they develop an early understanding of how to look after the environment. An eco-warrior character called 'Ozzie' helps children recognise the need to be mindful of not wasting items, such as tissues and paper towels. Children develop a sense of responsibility and learn how to care for the environment. For example, they learn to recycle their fruit and vegetable waste to create compost.

Children take pride in their achievements, such as when they build an obstacle course. They carefully position planks and crates, showing satisfaction as they step from one to the other. They take pride and say, 'I did it all by myself.' Children enjoy their time in pre-school and demonstrate a positive attitude toward learning.

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

• Staff know the children well. They offer a diverse range of open-ended activities as part of the continuous provision, along with some adult-led activities. Children excitedly explore and investigate resources, finding ways to solve problems. For example, staff challenge children to test out their ideas as they create ball runs with pipes. Staff guide children in tilting the pipe so that the ball will roll to the bottom. However, during group times, staff do not consistently engage children, leading to children missing the intended learning opportunities.
• Leaders are reflective and continually work to improve the activities and experiences they provide for the children. For example, they have expanded the areas for digging and planting. Leaders support staff's professional development through regular meetings and training. Consistent staff supervision meetings and an open-door policy significantly support staff well-being.
• Leaders and staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make the best possible progress. Staff swiftly provide support to close any gaps in learning. They ensure appropriate target plans are in place for each child to help them make good progress. Any additional funding that the setting receives is used to meet individual needs and enhance outcomes for children effectively.
• Parents are very complimentary about the pre-school. They describe a 'professional, encouraging and nurturing environment' for their children. Staff foster strong partnerships with parents from the outset, offering home visits before children start. This helps establish strong connections between home and pre-school. Staff gather information to plan for the individual needs of each child. Parents comment on the 'fantastic' communication, which keeps them well-informed about their child's day and progress.
• Overall, staff create opportunities for children to develop their language skills. For example, they share and discuss books with their key person and enjoy games where they guess rhyming words. However, staff often ask questions that require one-word responses. This hinders children's opportunities to develop their communication skills and respond with their ideas.
• Staff support children to develop a good understanding of how to stay healthy and build their independence. Children take turns helping to prepare a nutritious snack. They strengthen their hand-eye coordination by using food tongs to self-serve and pour their own drinks. Outdoors, children enjoy a variety of physical activities. These include climbing in and out of different-sized tyres, pushing large building blocks in wheelbarrows and balancing on stepping stones.
• Children enjoy imaginative play linked to experiences from home, such as making tea and going to a cafe. They delight in preparing food for their friends and pretending to take their orders. Children use pencils and a notepad to record their orders. This also helps to support children's early writing and language skills.
• The pre-school prides itself on its strong transition arrangements. Staff complete reports for children, which provide the school with the necessary starting points. Teachers at the nearby school visit the children, which helps children transition smoothly.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of group activities to ensure all children remain focused and engaged in their learning
• build on children's communication and language skills further by using more open-ended questions to extend their thinking.