Towntree Pre-school Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, safe and secure. They have developed warm and trusting bonds with their key person and the staff team. Changes to the drop-off and collection arrangements, following the COVID-19 pandemic, have not affected children. Staff greet children at the entrance and share important information with parents.

Children join in with games and experiences and stimulating activities that engage them. For example, all children join staff on a 'bear hunt' as they act out the story they have been sharing for the week. Children show care and concern for each other. For example, during a construction activity outside, older children take turns building towers. When children are unable to reach, other children step in to help.

Children are confident and independent. They share experiences with the inspector and are curious about what the inspector is doing. Children know the daily routines and put on their coats and wellington boots before going to play outdoors. Staff gently remind children to wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet. Children learn about making healthy choices and how to maintain oral hygiene. For example, they discuss that sugar and chocolate is bad for their teeth and that they need to brush their teeth before going to bed at night.

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

• The relatively new manager is supported to carry out his role and responsibilities by the passionate and dedicated provider. Collectively, they lead a staff team who are enthusiastic in providing good learning opportunities and experiences for children.
• Parents are happy with the progress children make at the setting. They know their children enjoy their time there and appreciate being given good verbal feedback at the end of the day. Parents know how to access progress information shared online. They access a private page that gives them continuous updates about what is happening at the setting. Parents appreciate the friendliness of the staff team and how they have strived to maintain communication during periods of closure and lockdown. However, staff do not consistently collect accurate information about children's development and home life from parents when children first start. This means that there is a slight delay in staff being able to build on what children know and can do.
• The dedicated and enthusiastic manager completes regular evaluations of the setting and staff performance. He considers the views of staff, parents and children. The manager has an accurate view of what improvements can be made. For example, he has fully transformed a previously unused area in the grounds of the setting to be a fully functional physical outdoor play space.
• Children now enjoy free-flow access and show patience and respect for each other as they excitedly wait in the queue to go outside.
• Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities very well. They demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of each child's individual needs and specific requirements. Staff's ongoing relationships and collaborative working with other professionals are effective in meeting children's needs. As a result, the interaction, support and reasonable adjustments that are made improve children's daily care and education.
• Staff have high expectations of children. Overall, children make good progress. However, sometimes, large-group activities do not fully engage all of the children taking part. At times, some children lose concentration and focus, which impacts on their learning experiences.
• Children have many opportunities to develop their early mathematical and literacy skills. They count building bricks while making towers that are as tall as the staff and compare who is the tallest. Staff support children to learn about letters and the sounds they represent. They give phonetic clues, encouraging children to predict what is going to happen next and respond to rhyming cues.
• Staff feel supported, valued and respected by the manager. They are offered frequent opportunities to keep their skills and knowledge up to date during in-house training and through external courses. This gives staff confidence in their roles and enables them to enhance their own professional development.
• Children show an awareness of each other and themselves. Staff know about children's home lives and cultures and celebrate their uniqueness. There is a strong sense of community at the inclusive and welcoming pre-school. In turn, this helps children to develop a sense of their own identity.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• gather more detailed information from parents about what their children already know and can do when they first start at the setting
• review the organisation and structure of group times to take into consideration the age ranges and individual needs of the children present, to enhance learning opportunities to the highest level.