Teston & Wateringbury Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

On arrival children are happy and are keen to begin their day. They are warmly welcomed by the dedicated staff team who know them well. Staff offer a range of engaging activities that capture the children's interest. For example, children are keen to experiment with pipette's and paint brushes to investigate colour mixing. Staff know the children well and have formed secure attachments. Children have good levels of well-being.

The curriculum consistently expands on children's existing knowledge and skills. Currently, there is an emphasis on developing children's independence, communication and language as well as their personal, social, and emotional development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Consistent strategies are in place and used effectively to ensure all children are included and have their individual needs met. All children are making good progress from their starting points.

Children behave well, they have respect for each other and their environment. The free flow opportunities allow children to have space, and the freedom to choose where they would prefer to play. Staff are good role models; they spend time playing alongside children and are consistent with their approaches to expected behaviour. Children are provided with the skills to successfully solve small disagreements on their own.

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

• The provider has a clear vision of what they want children to achieve during their time at pre-school and why this is important, all staff share the same ambition and understand the curriculum intentions. The provider offers staff good quality support and training opportunities to further their professional development. Staff receive regular one-on-one time with the provider to discuss their well-being and workloads, as a result staff feel well supported and work exceptionally well together as a team.
• Teaching across the pre-school is good. Staff know the children well, and suitable adaptations are made to support all children to feel included and access the curriculum. For example, the staff liaise well with outside agencies to get support and advice on how to help bridge gaps in children's development. When approaches are introduced to support children such as, the use of visual prompts, all staff are consistent in embedding this in practice. This provides consistency for children and supports their well-being.
• Staff fully support all children to develop a love of books and a passion for reading. Staff use a focus book to inspire an array of learning opportunities for children. They introduce children to new vocabulary and prompt conversations to extend children's understanding of the stories they hear. Children demonstrate their understanding as they recall parts of favourite books in great detail. Furthermore, staff are keen to work in partnership with parents to ensure this passion for stories continues at home by sharing books.
• Generally, the routines of the day work well, and children show sustained levels of involvement at activities that interest them. However, at times, staff do not plan their focused group times and ensure that daily routines are well coordinated to fully support all children's continued attention, engagement and learning.
• The provider is dedicated to developing secure connections with parents and their extended families. The efficient settling procedures enable both parents and children to establish strong relationships with the staff from the outset. Staff regularly share information about what children are doing and learning, and their next steps in development to enable parents to continue learning at home. The organisation of transitions further supports this. For example, when children are leaving for school, the setting invites teachers into the setting, and meetings are held regarding how to best support children with SEND.
• Children's physical development is supported well. Children are provided with fun and challenging activities to support their fine motor development. For example, they use tennis balls with slits in to pick up objects to support their co-ordination and hand control and use paintbrushes to make marks in sand. Furthermore, opportunities such as riding tricycles and assault courses encourage children to balance. This provides support for children to develop their core muscles and physical strength.
• Children benefit from trips to places such as, the church, park and farm shop. This supports children to learn more about the world around them and people in their community. Furthermore, staff are keen to learn about children's cultures, faiths and religions and how this can be shared. For example, recent learning about Chinese New Year prompted children to learn more about China, and its location on the world map.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to effectively plan routines and group times to ensure children's continued listening, attention and engagement.