The Hullbridge Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a wonderfully warm and welcoming environment for children. They greet their key children enthusiastically as they arrive. Vital information sharing ensures that staff provide the most effective support for children during their session. Throughout the day, children are supported by adults to feel safe and secure. For example, they receive consistent messages about safety and the 'golden rules'. As a result, children behave exceptionally well.

Children show kindness to others and listen incredibly well to staff. Sensitive and caring staff act as highly positive role models to children. This helps children to develop empathy and a secure understanding of how their choices have an impact on others. Staff encourage children to identify risks, such as when the craft materials have fallen on the floor. Children gather brushes and work busily together to sweep up the items. They show immense pride as they receive a sticker for working hard.

Children show positive attitudes to their learning. They access the curriculum with great enthusiasm, making independent choices and leading their own play. Staff provide a range of activities that support children's next steps in learning. The ambitious and well-considered curriculum is delivered by highly skilled staff who have a secure and all-round knowledge of their key children. This results in children having the best start to their education.

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

• The curriculum offers children access to all areas of learning. Staff plan a broad range of interesting and engaging activities that help to support children's next steps in learning. Children express their creativity as they 'decorate' Christmas trees with beads and tinsel. They use tweezers with skill to add pom-poms to the tree. Mathematical language is woven throughout the day. Children benefit from fresh air and exercise as they play outside. They run and climb with enthusiasm and demonstrate a strong urge to be physically active as they swing on a large tyre and pedal bicycles.
• Staff have incredibly high expectations of children. Children demonstrate a 'can do' attitude. They are becoming incredibly independent and capable of managing their personal needs. For example, they manage to put on their coats and footwear with confidence. Staff shower children with praise and celebrate their individual achievements. As a result, children develop positive attitudes to their learning.
• Children are very well equipped with the emotional language to express how they feel and to ask staff for help. They use a collection of coloured monsters that link to emotions. This helps children to recognise different feelings and emotions. For example, they say they feel 'yellow' today because this coloured monster represents happiness.
• Children learn about their community. They visit the library and parks. Local landmarks are displayed in the setting which help children to identify these when they visit the community. They have regular visitors to the nursery, such as the school crossing patrol and police officer. Staff are very aware of the local community. They consider how best to support the children who attend and how to broaden their experiences.
• Children are supported to develop exceptional communication and language though the language rich environment. They use language with increasing skill and confidence. Staff narrate alongside children's play, weaving new words through children's play. They use words, such as 'squidgy' and 'slushy', to describe the foam snow. Children use their developing language very well as they play. They describe what they are doing with fluency.
• Staff work in close partnership with external agencies. The shared approach to children's learning means that children receive tailored and appropriate support. For children with special educational needs and/or disability this means they receive the very best support to make their expected progress.
• The highly experienced manager leads with passion. She works very closely with the school to ensure seamless transitions for children. Staff are supported through high-quality supervision meetings. The sharply focused self-evaluation supports continuous improvements in the curriculum and quality of teaching. Staff access regular high quality professional development. As a result, children receive the very best teaching that gives them an exceptional start to their education journey.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school. In particular they express happiness about the progress children have made with speech and language. Parents comment that the communication from the pre-school is excellent. They feel very informed about what their children are learning.