Tarvin Pre-School & Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Despite the small size of this setting, staff and leaders alike have big ambitions to enable all children to thrive and reach their full potential. The curriculum has been successfully designed to help fulfil this vision. Every child makes continual progress from their individual starting points and all are suitably prepared for the eventual move on to school. Staff rapidly identify children who may need additional support, through their skilful assessment and professional observations. They adapt the delivery of the curriculum effectively to ensure everyone is fully included. These well-considered adaptations show that every child is valued and supported to thrive.

Staff have developed excellent links with a range of wider professionals, such as occupational therapists, speech and language professionals and local authority support workers. They swiftly reach out to these specialists to benefit from their expertise and support, whenever needed. Children benefit enormously from a highly tailored approach to their care and learning, to meet their unique and individual needs. Staff are quite rightly proud of the impact that they are having on all children's development, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff recognise that young children benefit from learning through play. The entire curriculum is designed to facilitate play and exploration, as children are encouraged to get stuck-in, develop ideas and play with curiosity. They move from one space to another with purpose and remain continually busy in the stimulating environment. Staff have high expectations for every single child. They offer children increasing levels of challenge as games and activities progress. Children master the basics first before being challenged to extend their skills further. Children practise their physical coordination because staff encourage them to balance and walk along wooden beams and navigate uneven surfaces in the woods. Staff pay careful attention to what children enjoy and incorporate specific interests into the activities offered. For example, children show an interest in bugs and insects when playing outside. This is quickly enhanced by magnifying glasses which help to nourish children's enthusiasm, awe and wonder.

Children's individual assessment records are updated regularly. This helps staff to pinpoint exactly where children need additional support. They target their teaching around what children need to learn next, and children make good progress. Staff provide plenty of narration as children play. They introduce new descriptive words to extend vocabulary. Staff sing with children and use rhythm and rhyme to introduce new words and language. However, sometimes, staff ask closed questions which prevents children from responding. This means that children have fewer opportunities to engage in two-way discussion and practise their emerging language skills.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children enjoy being creative. They giggle as they make 'potions' in the woods, developing their ideas and playing cooperatively with peers. Children stir and pour the petal-potion into bottles, mastering their precise hand-eye coordination. They develop their early writing skills as they make lists of potion ingredients and recipes. The programme of play is captivating, and children's learning is fun. Children grow seedlings and vegetables in the on-site allotment. They nurture these growing plants, showing empathy and compassion towards living things. They also learn where their food comes from as they successfully harvest tomatoes and develop a positive attitude towards healthy eating.

Children often read for pleasure, independently picking up books and flicking through pages with curiosity and intrigue. They confidently handle books and reading is familiar and enjoyable for children. Children communicate confidently with others, expressing themselves as they play. However, children do not always engage in discussions to extend their thinking further and enhance their achievement language and communication.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children benefit from extremely well thought-through, established routines. They take responsibility for themselves; lining up before playing outside without prompt and immediately hanging their coat up after playing outdoors. Familiarity and consistency in routines promote children's excellent sense of belonging and strong self-esteem. The organisation of the day, through established routines, is striking & phenomenally successful. Staff are nurturing and caring, bolstering children's confidence and sense of self-worth at every opportunity. They offer endless praise to foster children's confidence. In turn, everyone including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities show resilience and an effervescent can-do attitude. For instance, when faced with challenges, children repeatedly try until they succeed.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They swiftly follow instructions the first time they are asked, showing respectful cooperation. Staff often remind children about expectations and children eagerly recite the 'rules', indicating that they know what is expected of them. In turn they are polite, helpful and behave tremendously well. Children attend regularly and arrive punctually, ready for the day ahead. Staff understand the value of good attendance and quickly address any absences. They report that attendance levels are excellent, helping to ensure that children do not experience interruptions to their learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Staff nurture caring relationships with children and children are very happy in this pre-school. They benefit from plenty of attention and caring interactions from dedicated staff. Children grow a host of different vegetables in the allotment. They taste their harvested produce extending their confidence with new foods and fostering a positive attitude towards healthy eating.

Staff help children to brush their teeth daily. Everyone has their own, named toothbrush and this routine task is highly anticipated by all children. Younger children are offered encouragement and support, while older and more-able children complete the task with increasing independence. Children show a mature attitude to this important self-care skill. Staff teach children about 'global recycling day' through a range of activities. Children learn about the impact they have on the world around them, by exploring this topic. This exemplifies how integral health and welfare is to staff and children alike.

Children's safety is heavily promoted by cautious staff. They often check the suitability of equipment prior to children playing. Their visual checks are delivered with great care and attention to minimise possible risks. Children's welfare and safety is given utmost priority.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Partnerships with parents are well established. Parents are often invited into the setting, to enhance learning by sharing information about their occupations or to read to children. They are actively engaged in children's learning. Parent evenings and regular newsletters help to keep parents fully informed. Partnership working is excellent, and this promotes consistency for children. Staff and leaders collectively engage in honest and thorough self-evaluation and reflection. They have an accurate and well-informed view of the setting. Importantly, leaders revisit these reflections often to ensure that the plans to improve reflect the unique and ever-changing needs of the families they support. Staff and leaders alike strive to offer families they support with an excellent service.

The teamwork amongst all staff is a notable strength of this setting. They work well together, delegate tasks, share responsibilities and check-in on each other's wellbeing. They complement each other and optimise talents within the team to benefit children. For example, those with a keen interest in gardening support children to plant and grow seeds and bulbs, to develop children's appreciation of nature and the great outdoors. This is a talented and aspirational team who are working well together to offer high-quality provision for the children and families they support.

Leaders are extremely hands-on in the delivery of the service. They monitor the quality of staff interactions through relaxed daily feedback and more formal supervision meetings. This coaching helps to maintain good standards. Staff benefit from regular training, to enhance their skills. Further training specifically relating to interactions and communication will extend staff's confidence and impact positively on children's conversational skills.