Tandridge Village Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and thoroughly enjoy their time at the pre-school. They receive a friendly and warm welcome from staff, with whom they have formed secure bonds. Children regularly reach out to staff for cuddles throughout the day. This demonstrates how safe and secure they feel. Staff are good role models, who listen respectfully to children and guide them on how to treat others with kindness. Children behave well and understand what is expected of them.

Staff promote children's independence well. For instance, children learn to put on their coats and shoes, ready for their outdoor sessions. Children show pride in accomplishing these tasks, proudly announcing, 'I did it'. They enjoy lots of time outdoors to support their physical skills, core strength and well-being. Children have regular access to outdoor play spaces and the oldest children also head off to the nearby woods for weekly forest school sessions. Staff provide a range of resources and activities to help children to move in different ways, such as bicycles, scooters and balancing equipment. Children confidently climb, throw and catch, as well as enjoying the 20-minute weekly walk to forest school. They understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, during the forest school activity, children clearly explain the boundaries and safety rules in place.

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

• The manager is reflective and has a clear and ambitious vision for the pre-school that is shared with the team. They strive to deliver high-quality care and education. Staff are offered support and coaching to help them carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. They are encouraged to complete training courses and attend regular meetings to raise the quality of education provided for the children.
• Overall, staff plan a broad and balanced curriculum around the children's interests and learning needs. They know the children well and use their observations and assessments of children to determine their next steps in learning. Leaders reflect on the effectiveness of the teaching and learning, and support staff to develop their practice. However, this support is not focused enough on ensuring all staff understand the delivery of the curriculum for the youngest children. Consequently, younger children, at times, loose focus and do not maintain high levels of concentration.
• Staff clearly set out their expectations for children's behaviour, which children respond well to. They celebrate children's work, offering regular praise and encouragement. This helps children to develop a sense of pride in their achievements. Staff promote positive behaviour management strategies. They swiftly support children when taking turns and, through discussion, they help children to understand their own feelings and emotions.
• Staff support children's mathematical learning well across the pre-school. They make the most of daily tasks to develop children's understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, staff use songs and rhymes to introduce children to numbers and counting. Younger children learn to differentiate between big and small objects and to sort objects by size. Older children giggle excitedly as they use a large measuring tape to measure each other and work out who is the tallest in the group. Children also use mathematical language as they play. This helps to build children's mathematical skills, which provides a firm foundation for future learning.
• Overall, children's communication and language skills are supported well. Staff talk to children, successfully modelling words and sentences. They encourage children to name objects they see to help them use new vocabulary. Staff use a mixture of stories, songs and rhymes throughout the day. Older children are fascinated and engaged when listening to a story at group time and enthusiastically join in with the parts they know. Younger children chat excitedly as they play. However, staff do not always recognise the opportunities that arise to build on children's interests in activities to extend their language and thinking more fully.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They work with parents and other professionals to share information and provide targeted support to help children with SEND make the best possible progress. Any additional funding the pre-school receives is used to support children's individual needs, such as purchasing additional resources or extra staffing to allow even more focused support.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the pre-school. Staff regularly communicate with parents and keep them up to date with their children's care and progress. Parents share very positive views of the nursery. For example, they mention the support they receive as a family, and the ideas they are provided with to help enhance their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop a more secure understanding of how to implement the curriculum for the youngest children
• strengthen staff skills in recognising the opportunities that arise to build on children's interests in activities to extend their language and thinking more fully.