Stanmore Baptist Church Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The pre-school is well established in the community. Parents are warmly welcomed by the experienced staff, who provide a safe and inclusive environment for children. Staff create a 'family' atmosphere in the pre-school, which helps children to feel comfortable, happy and secure in their care. Staff are good role models. They cherish children and treat them with respect and kindness. Leaders are clear about what they want children to learn while they are at the pre-school. They have high expectations of all children and plan an ambitious curriculum that covers all areas of learning. All children, including those who are learning English as an additional language, make good progress. There is a good focus on children's developing communication and language skills.

Staff offer children a wide range of well-resourced activities that support their physical and cognitive development. Children practise cutting, use glue and sticky tape to make models, sort and thread reels, hunt for bugs and make colourful potions. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Staff observe children closely, identify any additional needs early and seek support. They use strategies from other early years professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to support children's development and help them to make progress.

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

• Staff understand how children learn. They build effectively on children's existing knowledge. For example, when children discover a snail and beetle in the garden, the manager finds a book to read to children that extends their understanding of minibeasts.
• Most children are eager to take part in the full range of activities on offer. However, staff do not consistently make sure that children are encouraged to take part in all aspects of the provision, and not just those that take their interest, to help maximise children's progress across all areas of learning.
• The curriculum for understanding the world is a strength of the pre-school. Children learn about the environment, the seasons and how things grow. They sweep up leaves in autumn to make compost and then use this to plant seeds. Children care for the vegetables as they grow and then use them in their cooking activities.
• Staff encourage children to use good manners. They use targeted praise when children manage tasks well, such as 'good pouring'. Children generally behave well. However, sometimes, in the pre-school room, children find it hard to regulate their behaviour during whole-group times, such as snack time and story time. This is an area for leaders to review to ensure that all children benefit from the learning opportunities during these times.
• Staff take individual children's and parents' needs into account when planning the routine of the day. For example, they have changed the pre-school's opening times to make drop-off and collection times easier for those parents who have children at the nearby school.
• Parents and staff speak highly of the leadership team. All staff have opportunities to take up training to support their continuous professional development. Staff meet regularly to review and evaluate the quality of the provision. All staff contribute to all aspects of the pre-school's curriculum, planning and routines.
• Children become confident communicators. They converse with staff and share news from home, such as 'My mummy does not like snails.' Staff listen carefully and ask open-ended questions to promote discussion and thought, such as 'What can you see through the magnifying glass?'
• Children benefit from outings that develop their understanding of the wider world. Children enjoy new experiences, including trips to the library, café and theatre. Staff turn photos of these visits into books, which support children to recall events and their friends who have left the pre-school.
• Staff give children's well-being a high priority. All staff get to know children and their families well. Parents feel supported and able to share information that has an impact on their children's development. They feel that staff are caring and approachable.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that all children are encouraged to access the full range of provision
• review whole-group times, such as snack times and story times, in the pre-school room so children benefit fully from these aspects of the routine.