Sutton on the Hill Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they are confident, happy and safe at the pre-school. As they arrive, they take off their jackets and place them on their pegs. They put their lunch boxes in a box and line up at the handwashing station. Children patiently wait their turn while chatting to their friends. They quickly engage in purposeful play and enjoy the range of activities set up. Children use the play dough and a selection of natural materials to create alien characters from their favourite story book. They use their developing mathematical skills to count and arrange small objects into groups of different sizes, colours and shapes.

Children understand what is expected of them and they behave well. They play together and cooperate. For example, they work in a group to make a train track. Children ask staff to join in with their role play as they embark on a train journey to their favourite holiday destination.

Children learn the importance of healthy lifestyles and good oral hygiene through well-planned activities. For example, children participate in a monster tooth brushing activity. They have fun as they use toothbrushes and shaving foam to scrub the monster's mouth. They explain that they need to clean the teeth because they are dirty and brushing your teeth keeps them healthy and strong.

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

• The pre-school has made good progress since their last inspection. The manager and staff team have taken appropriate steps to make improvements. These changes have had a positive impact on children's learning and development.
• Staff find out about the experiences children have had before they attend the pre-school to support them with their future learning. For example, staff have identified that during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, some young children have spent less time mixing with others. For these children, staff support their social skills through routines and activities to encourage sharing and turn taking.
• Staff have high expectations for all children and are good role models. They teach children right from wrong and gently remind children to follow the rules and boundaries in place.
• Overall, staff extend children's learning and development well. For example, staff remind children about what they have done during a previous activity to build on their learning. They talk about the paper boats they made that sank when they were put into water. Children then confidently use their knowledge to join in with another boat-building activity. However, staff do not always differentiate in group activities. Some younger children lose interest and become distracted.
• Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active. They go for regular walks around the community and visit the local brook. Older children explore the forest school area to learn about nature and take managed risks. These activities inspire children's curiosity and help them to learn about the world they live in.
• Staff are respectful of children's backgrounds and understand the importance of celebrating children's individuality. Staff gather information from parents about children's family and home life. That said, staff miss the opportunity to use this information to enable the children to gain an understanding of their pre-school friends' backgrounds and what makes them unique.
• Staff support children's language development by helping to extend their vocabulary. They introduce new words, use repetition and ask thought-provoking questions. Children are given time to think and respond, and to share their thoughts and ideas. However, staff do not always provide enough opportunities for children to develop the languages they speak at home during their play and learning.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They report on the progress their children have made since they started. Parents know what their child needs to learn next and say they feel well informed about how to help their child's learning at home.
• Staff feel valued and supported by leaders. The manager supports staff through regular supervision to manage their workload effectively and maintain their well-being. Targets are identified for staff to improve the quality of education for children. For example, the outdoor area has been enhanced to encourage children to participate more in experiences outside.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that staff provide opportunities for children to develop the languages that they speak at home in order to support their communication skills
• provide children with a rich set of experiences in order to promote their understanding of families and traditions beyond their own
• ensure that staff adapt group activities so that all children remain fully engaged and supported.