The Bungalow Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff and children form excellent relationships at this very inclusive and friendly setting. Staff know children exceptionally well. They support them to take turns, as they choose where they want to play next and who with. Staff share story books with children about being kind and talk to them about the different emotions they feel. Staff remind children gently of the rules of the setting. They talk about 'kind hands' and encourage children to take turns, as they stretch and hammer dough with rolling pins and wooden mallets. Children have the chance to become a 'star of the week'. This helps to raise their confidence and self-esteem.

Children are growing rapidly in independence. They put on and take off their own coats, shoes and aprons. Staff have created a 'snuffle station' with a mirror, so children can see to wipe their own noses. They encourage children to fetch their own water from the water butt, as they dig with soil and plant seeds outside in the enclosed garden. Children find their own photos to peg onto a washing line when they arrive. This helps create feelings of belonging and ownership. When children are able, they move on to identify their names, rather than their picture. Stable daily routines help children to feel emotionally secure. Staff alert children to changes in routines by using a tambourine. Children are actively involved in this and choose whether to use a bigger or smaller instrument.

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

• The experienced and respectful staff team is very caring, sensitive and kind. Staff go above and beyond to help settle children and see to their needs. Staff know well where children are in their development, and how to build on and extend their learning further. They encourage children to take the lead, as they scoop out the insides of pumpkins and explore real vegetables in the mud kitchen outside.
• The manager and staff provide excellent support to children and parents, as new children settle in at the setting. Settling-in sessions are extremely flexible and adapted to meet the specific needs of each child.
• The setting has a school-ready programme, which builds up over the year, as the move to school approaches. This includes providing book bags to take home and trays for lunchtimes, as children will have when at school. Staff support children to practise walking with these. Staff teach children how to get dressed for physical education lessons and include school uniform in the role-play area.
• Support for children's communication and language skills is superb. Staff clap the number of syllables to words. They use sign language, gestures and visual prompts to help support children's understanding. Staff leave plenty of time for children to respond, such as when they choose which rhyme they would like at song time. They ask detailed questions that encourage children to think of and express their own ideas.
• Staff plan excellent support for children's physical development. They provide different sizes of tongs, tweezers and spoons for children to dig and explore with natural materials, such as sand, cork and pine cones. This helps children to develop their coordination and skills using their hands.
• Staff understand the importance of building children's core strength to prepare them for later tasks, such as early writing. Children climb, stretch and balance as they play with parachute games and equipment outside.
• Staff provide thoughtful, challenging and exciting activities that cover all areas of learning. They support children's developing mathematical skills, as they count together the number of footprints children leave in the mud. They compare the size of the footprints to see whose is the biggest. Children are fully engaged, curious and motivated to learn.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is outstanding. Staff work closely with other education and health professionals to help provide a consistent approach in supporting children's learning and development.
• Parents speak very highly of the setting. They praise the excellent communication and the dedication of the staff team. Staff work in close partnership with parents and encourage them to involve themselves in the setting through 'stay and play' and music sessions.
• Staff encourage parents to register with local dentists and the library. They expand children's experiences outside the setting by taking them on trips to the local library, park and to shops. They buy healthy foods to make soup back at the setting.
• The setting is very well-organised, and the reflective staff work together very well. There is excellent support for staff in relation to their continuous professional development and well-being.
• The dedicated manager gathers the views of staff and parents. She gathers opinions generally but also on specific aspects of the running of the setting. The manager uses this information to help plan clear, continuous improvements. She provides feedback to parents through a 'you said, we did' approach. This helps parents to know that their views are valued and taken into consideration.