Tadpoles Pre-School

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff identify children's needs quickly and make referrals, including, where appropriate to the drop in centre where parents can access early help from a range of professionals. Leaders want the best for children and understand that early intervention prepares them better for school. As such, they work closely with the local authority to seek advice where needed.

Staff with specialist roles attend training that gives them an appropriate understanding of how to support children, who may be at risk of falling behind their peers. Leaders monitor children's progress and assess the impact targets have on children's progress. This means that planned teaching is adapted to include children. However, systems are not yet fully embedded to ensure highly consistent support. For example, although leaders work closely with parents and professionals to build a clear picture of children's starting points and any barriers to learning, they have not fully extended partnerships with other settings that children attend. This does not fully enable a shared and highly collaborative approach in making a difference to children's learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

There is a clear curriculum that supports children to make progress across all areas of learning. Leaders are clear about what they want children to learn and use assessment and next steps to support learning. Teaching is sequenced so that children develop skills they need first, such as developing strength in their hands before moving on to tasks, such as writing and using scissors.

Children are typically enabled to develop new knowledge, such as which flowers grow in spring. Staff use first-hand experiences to support teaching, such as smelling the flowers and looking at them outside. Generally, staff use a range of questions to provoke thinking. However, sometimes they move on too quickly with their questions. This means that children are not fully supported to extend their ideas and develop their thinking independently.

Children develop independence in every day tasks, such as handwashing and wiping noses. They help set the tables for lunch. Staff use this as an opportunity to practise counting and use problem-solving skills, for instance when working out how many chairs they need.

Staff support communication and language well. They model language correctly and use lots of back-and-forth conversations and narration during play, which supports children with communication delays to catch up with their peers. Physical activity is promoted through explicit teaching, such as balancing and climbing. Staff encourage children to explore risk and challenge by offering balance beams at different heights. Fine motor skills are taught through mark making and using dough regularly.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children typically achieve well in their learning. They acquire new skills and knowledge that build on what they already know and can do. For example, young babies develop core strength and balance before moving on to walking. Children show their developing physical skill, such as when balancing on beams and riding wheeled toys. They show increasing confidence handling a range of tools, such as tweezers and scissors. This demonstrates their developing fine motor skills.

Children are typically developing the necessary skills for the next stage in their education. They recognise numerals and are beginning to apply their mathematical skills to solving problems. Children show their acquired knowledge of a range of topics, such as the days of the week and weather patterns. Generally, they confidently answer questions during group time and use their growing vocabulary to describe how flowers look, feel and smell.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have set very high expectations for how children behave. Staff act as positive role models and instil positive attitudes to behaviour from the earliest opportunity. Children learn quickly because staff act as positive role models and are fair and consistent with their rules. Staff focus on establishing a calm environment and ensure that children are settled, secure and ready to learn. Secure attachments with key people promote children's positive attitudes and children feel safe and secure.

Children attendance levels are high and leaders support parents to appreciate the value of early education. Children show incredible concentration and focus in their learning. For example, they complete complex puzzles and cut with scissors with sharp focus and concentration.

Children are incredibly kind to each other. They act as mentors to new children, welcoming them in and helping them to find their way. Children treat the environment and others with the utmost respect, taking care of their resources. Children have wonderfully positive relationships with one another, they help with tasks and share their toys without fuss.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

The environment is warm, welcoming and supports children to feel safe. Children show the secure attachments they have with staff as they seek them out for cuddles and engage in joyful play. Staff use a range of resources to support children, who find emotions difficult to manage. For example, they use pictures to help children relate to a range of feelings and emotions. This particularly helps children with communication delays to express themselves confidently and seek support from adults.

Children access fresh air regularly in the spacious garden and neighbouring playing fields. They explore the garden with positive energy, showing their enjoyment of physical exercise. Staff remind children that exercise and healthy eating helps support muscles to grow and that calcium helps teeth to grow strong. Leaders help children to develop healthy lifestyles. Staff discuss nutrition during mealtimes and the benefit to children's health. Leaders are further developing their work with parents, including ideas for healthy lunches.

Hygiene practises are excellent with children fully understanding the need to wash hands after wiping noses. Children have impeccable table manners. They listen to staff about the importance of sitting down to eat so that they stay safe.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a good understanding of their setting and the community they serve. They have worked hard to develop the weaknesses since the last inspection. For example, staff receive regular feedback about their performance that helps them develop their teaching practice further. Leaders hold supervisions with staff to discuss any areas of training they would like and to check on their wellbeing.

Leaders use some self-evaluation and assessment to identify the setting's strengths and identified areas for improvement. They use action plans to drive improvements and work closely with their local authority education partner. Leaders are constantly developing their use of evaluation to drive improvements. They generally recognise the importance of staff professional development and how this supports improvements in curriculum and teaching. Regular supervision provide opportunities for leaders to discuss staff's individual needs. However, training is not yet precisely focused on the areas that have been identified for improvement, to help consistently drive ongoing development in the setting.

Parent partnerships are positive. Leaders have open and trusting relationships with families that lead to shared approaches to children's learning. This helps to support children who face barriers to their learning to make progress from their start points. The nominated individual has clear oversight of the setting and leaders are supported well, which helps them to carry out their duties effectively.