The Meadows Community Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this peaceful and stimulating environment, and they feel valued and safe. Children have free-flow access to the outdoor environment and enjoy endless opportunities to explore, experiment and explain their ideas. Staff are calm and attentive. They spend time among children, listening and responding with ease. This helps children to feel confident and happy. Staff nurture connections with children, sharing jokes and memories. Children learn about each other and remember pets and their past experiences. They talk about transition to school and a trip to the wildlife park. Staff have created floor books with photos so that children can recall and discuss their memories. Interactions between staff and children are authentic and natural.

Children make tea in the mud kitchen, pick grapes to make potions and gleefully inspect the vegetables they are growing. Children remember what they have learned and make connections to new knowledge, and staff listen and ask questions. Children identify plants by the shape of their leaves and enthusiastically explain their understanding to staff, who share their experiences. Children work together to build a large construction set. They ask staff to take a picture and gather together instructing staff to take a picture of them all together. Children make suggestions for how the photo should be posed and take turns to use the camera. Staff have a genuine interest in the children and their families. Children respond well and become enthusiastic learners. Staff skilfully enhance children's learning in all areas.

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

• The setting is well organised, bright, spacious and clean. Children benefit from a clear routine. They start the day together, singing a hello song and using sign language. Children are highly motivated. They know what is happening and what is expected of them. Staff organise the setting well. For instance, children have a peg for their coat and bag, and there is easy access to the toilets. This helps them to feel safe and develop their independence.
• Children are kind to each other and say 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff encourage children to put things away and to help to tidy up before lunch.
• The curriculum is clear. Staff monitor each child's progress from their starting points in development. They plan comprehensively for each child's next steps in learning. Managers and staff have regular meetings to evaluate what is working well and areas for development.
• Due to staffing shortages, managers are often included in ratios. Despite this challenge, staff work well together as a team and say that their roles, responsibilities and duties are manageable. However, staff take breaks with children during the day, and the manager has less time to focus on managerial procedures. This also impacts on the support that staff are able to give children with emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Staff are good role models for inclusion and diversity. They promote their diverse community in the resources and books they share and in their interactions with children.
• Children sit cosily among staff to share stories. Staff ask questions about their families and remember details so that children know they are valued. All children have a key person, and all staff know the children well. Staff speak knowledgeably and with affection about the children in their care.
• Staff share information with parents in daily conversations and through an app. They share information packs on different topics, such as communication and language and oral hygiene.
• Parents say that they love the setting and that their children are making good progress, especially in developing their confidence, communication and language. Parents say they wish their children could come more often and that their children are 'soaring along' since they came to pre-school.
• Staff have regular supervision meetings, where their specialisations and development are discussed. However, staff shortages mean that staff have reduced time to develop their knowledge and expertise in order to support children even further.
• The setting has good relationships with schools and other professionals. Children make transition visits to school, and teachers from other settings visit children in the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• deploy staff more effectively to maintain staff's well-being and to offer more support for children with emerging SEND
• continue to extend opportunities for staff to further develop their expertise in supporting children's individual needs.