The Red School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy in the pre-school and their behaviour is impeccable. They thrive in the exceptionally nurturing care of the dedicated staff team. Staff ensure that all children receive the individual support and care they need to make exceedingly rapid progress. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, progress in an incredibly short space of time. Parents are amazed how quickly they learn.

Staff place a strong focus on developing children's speech and language and children make exceptional progress in this area of learning. Children who speak English as an additional language make superb and rapid progress. Staff support them to learn English using their home languages and sign language to aid communication. Staff make learning fun. They are particularly skilled in building children's confidence and all children flourish.

Children develop independence from a young age. For example, children as young as two years old learn to recognise their name as they place name labels into a basket to show they are ready for a snack. Children carry their plates to the table and select their fruit pieces with small tongs. This strengthens their grip and prepares them for pencil control and early writing. Children know how to use the water dispensers and help themselves to a drink when they are thirsty.

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

• Staff work extremely closely together to ensure a highly consistent approach to managing children's behaviour. They teach children to embrace the routines of the day. Children see pictures of themselves engaging in particular tasks with enjoyment, such as pouring drinks and listening to a story. This structured and consistent environment helps children to feel safe and secure.
• Staff are extremely supportive to children and help them to manage their emotions with kindness and understanding. They exude an atmosphere of happiness and calm and all children feel included. Children are fully engaged in their learning and their concentration is remarkable. They are fully focused on the task in hand. For instance, they concentrate hard as they pick up corks with pliers and transport them to a basket to tidy up. Children have a love of reading and regularly choose books to sit and read with staff. They point to the pictures on the page and discuss what the characters are doing.
• Children thoroughly enjoy spending time in the outdoor area. They water the herbs, fruits and vegetables they have planted without any prompting. They fill watering cans from a tap dispenser. Children know how to put on aprons to keep their clothes dry. They challenge themselves physically when they pull up and push down on a pump to fill their buckets with water. Staff talk to children all the time, extending their vocabulary. They teach children how to measure water in jugs. They teach children how to balance objects in scales and children learn about things that are 'heavy' and 'light'.
• Children are physically active. Staff hire a sports coach and a dance teacher to help children to become aware of their bodies and how they can move. Children zoom around on balance bikes and remember to wear helmets. They enjoy clambering up the climbing frame and whooshing down the slide. Children develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they tear tiny pieces of dough to give to their friends.
• Parents say that the pre-school is outstanding and they would not take their children anywhere else. They say that they travel miles to get there. Parents say that the staff are unique. They say their children have progressed so much in such a short time, and they are amazed. Parents say that their four-year-old children are extremely well prepared for starting school and they will be sad to leave this wonderful pre-school.
• The manager and staff evaluate everything they do and discuss how they can continually make improvements. The manager and staff are constantly striving to be the best that they can be for the benefit of the children they care for. All staff undertake plenty of training to enhance their skills and knowledge. They support each other and exchange ideas for the planning of new activities and resources.
• The manager supervises the staff conscientiously. She observes their practice and they discuss suggestions for improvement in staff meetings. Staff retention is excellent and staff say how happy they are to work in the pre-school. The manager ensures that staff take time to relax and take breaks. She is concerned for staff well-being and promotes a positive work-life balance.