St Paul's Beckenham Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that that is broad and exciting. Staff plan a wealth of activities that are based on children's interests. They help children build a good understanding of the world around them. For instance, children confidently hold simple discussions about sustainability, the ecosystem and the importance of recycling waste with staff.

Children are excited learners. They eagerly participate in planned activities and freely choose from the wide range of resources that is provided for them. Staff encourage children to become independent, particularly in their self-care. Children manage their toileting and handwashing needs appropriately. They retrieve their individual lunch boxes and serve their own portions of healthy snacks.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children behave well and emulate the positive and friendly conduct of staff. Children know what is expected of them and understand the pre-school's rules. They willingly stop their activities when it is time to tidy up. They cooperate well with staff and anticipate the change in routine. Children share their resources with their friends and develop an awareness of taking turns.

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

• Leaders have taken swift action to address the weaknesses identified at the last inspection. They have adhered to safeguarding procedures and ensured that all the committee trustees have completed suitability checks.
• Staff expertly encourage children's physical agility both indoors and outdoors. Children enjoy dancing, stomping their feet and exploring different movements using their bodies during musical circle times. Younger children are highly active as staff challenge their coordination, travel, balance and ball control. Older children learn the importance of teamwork and develop their listening and attention while playing games with rules taught by coaches.
• Staff purposefully introduce children to carefully selected fact books and stories. They use these to teach children and help them recall important information they have learned. For example, staff build on children's understanding of how they can care for the earth, environment and living creatures. Children develop a fondness of different stories and often choose their own books to look through together and independently.
• Leaders and staff promote many aspects of healthy lifestyles well. For example, they teach children the importance of oral hygiene during toothbrushing activities. They ensure that children eat a range of chopped fruit and vegetables during snack times. Despite this, staff's support for the youngest children's understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet is inconsistent. Consequently, not all children develop an early understanding of healthy drinks.
• Staff promote children's understanding of mathematics well. They use every opportunity to include numbers in their interactions. Staff sing songs that involve counting. Children learn to recognise and trace numbers at various times. They confidently name colours and shapes.
• Staff make the most of their interactions with children. They promote children's good language and communication. Children learn to answer effective questions and recall events they have experienced or learned about well. Staff allow children time to think and make predictions before giving the answers to problems involving sorting and categorising objects, for example.
• There is an effective key-person system in place. All staff have a secure understanding of the needs of children. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures staff use strategies to calm and engage children when they struggle with their emotions. Individual children have regular opportunities to play in small groups, so they develop their social skills. Therefore, all children make the best progress possible.
• Partnerships with parents are good. The manager and staff support parents well. They gain relevant information about the children when they start and provide feedback on the children's progress. Parents know what their children are learning. Staff provide support and guidance on ways to further support children's learning and development at home.
• Staff are knowledgeable about children's development and effective ways to promote their learning. They say they receive opportunities to train and progress in their roles and responsibilities. Staff at the pre-school work well as a team. Children benefit from child-centred opportunities that help them progress steadily across their areas of learning.
• Leaders use additional funding appropriately to support individual children. This ensures that all children benefit from stimulating extra-curricula activities, such as opportunities to learn about and handle minibeasts and farm animals.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff support for younger children's awareness of healthy lifestyles, so they all begin to develop their early understanding of a nutritious diet.