Thorpe End Preschool (Teddies)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive with enthusiasm, keen to start their day at this friendly, welcoming pre-school. They separate from their parents with ease and find their named 'teddy' to self-register. Staff spend time talking to parents to find out information regarding children's ongoing needs and preferences. This information is communicated effectively across the whole staff team, ensuring children's needs are met. Staff use ongoing information regarding children's interests to plan activities they know children will engage with. As a result, children settle quickly and are motivated and productive.

Children are happy and demonstrate close relationships with staff. They rush over and embrace them with frequent hugs and cuddles. Toddlers snuggle with staff to share books and listen to songs. Staff treat all children with the utmost care and respect. They supervise children effectively and act swiftly to give comfort and reassurance. Nappy changes are respectful. Staff talk to children throughout, helping them feel safe and comfortable. Consistent routines further promote children's feelings of safety and security. Children know what is expected of them. This is because staff ensure routines and expectations are clear and consistent. Children hear bells ring and help to tidy away toys. They find space on the carpet and join in with good morning routines to choose weather symbols and days of the week.

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

• Staff plan a curriculum based on children's developmental needs and interests. They make regular observations of children's learning and use this to identify children's next steps. Staff know children well and provide regular information to parents to help support with their children's learning at home. As a result, children make good progress.
• Children develop lovely friendships and demonstrate social skills in their own play. Children wave as they see their friends arrive. They hold hands and sit together to play with train sets, negotiating which person will be chosen as the train driver. Older children share tips of how to draw pictures to make 'sirens'. They see toddlers completing jigsaws and ask, 'Do you need help with that?', echoing language they have heard from staff.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. The deputy manager is also the special educational needs coordinator. She accesses a range of wider training and ensures this is cascaded to other members of staff. As a result, all staff act swiftly to identify where children might need further support. They use targeted interventions to support children's attention, listening and communication skills.
• There is a hive of harmonious activity around the pre-school, where children share and show respect. This is because staff are positive role models and consistently model politeness and good manners. They use snack times to remind children to say 'thank you' as they serve fruit. During group activities, staff reinforce turn taking. For example, children wait to be chosen to pick objects out of song bags.
• Children show impressive independence. They change into indoor shoes when they arrive and show proficiency in managing zips and fixings on coats. Children pour drinks and self-select bowls and cups at snack times. They manage their own self-care and are well prepared for school.
• Staff form a strong team. The manager places a high-priority on staff's well-being and as a result, staff feel valued and supported. Staff are empowered to take on new responsibilities and further their skills through training. New staff benefit from robust induction procedures which ensures they are prepared for their roles.
• The manager evaluates the pre-school effectively and works alongside her staff to drive forward improvement. She is passionate about improving outcomes for children and leads the pre-school with integrity. Parents are full of praise for her and the whole staff team. They say staff are 'wonderful' and 'amazing' and that their children are thriving. Parents reflect that the pre-school ethos has, 'Love and kindness at the heart of everything'.
• Staff get down to children's level and show an interest in what they are doing. However, they do not always build on what children already know and can do. For example, when children count pretend fish, staff do not model and encourage them to count past numbers they already know.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to enhance their teaching skills, building on what children already know and can do, to extend their learning even further.