Toybox Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Effective settling-in procedures help children form secure attachments to their key person. Children are happy, safe, and secure in this setting. They quickly learn the routines to follow, needing no reminders to hang up their coats as they arrive. Staff have high expectations and act as positive role models. This helps children to behave well, share and take turns. Children respond promptly to instructions, such as helping to tidy up before snack. They understand how to resolve minor disagreements. For example, children suggest using a sand timer to ensure they both have a turn with a favourite toy.

Children eat healthily, choosing from different fruits at snack time. They know that they must clean their teeth regularly. Children enjoy practising how to brush correctly on toy teeth with toothbrushes and toothpaste. They understand why they must wash their hands before eating, 'to get rid of germs'. Children use previous experiences in their play and have positive attitudes to learning. For instance, they use the bricks to build a wall and sing, 'I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down'.

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

• Overall, staff use children's starting points to plan suitable activities. They assess and monitor their progress and use this information to plan further experiences. Children make good progress. However, at times, the activities and resources chosen, do not meet the precise learning needs of the children.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are effectively supported. Gaps in learning are promptly identified. Parents receive guidance to help them access additional support from external professionals, such as the specialist teacher service. Staff work cooperatively with other agencies to support children with needs.
• Staff help children to understand how to keep safe. For example, they remind children to face the right way before going down the slide.
• Overall, staff support children's communication skills well. They use open-ended questions but, occasionally, they do not give children enough time to express their own ideas before supplying an answer. Staff help children to develop their vocabulary. For instance, they reinforce the use of descriptive words, such as 'purple train'.
• Leaders and staff regularly meet to consider how they can further improve children's experiences. There are plans underway to build planters to enable children to observe how things grow, harvest, and eat their crops. In the longer term, the aim is to have an additional outdoor classroom.
• Staff observe each other's practice and identify ways in which it can be strengthened. They meet with leaders each term to discuss their work and training needs. This helps staff to build on their knowledge and skills.
• Children have many opportunities to play outside in the fresh air. A range of ride-on toys, scooters, and bicycles are available, suited to the ages and abilities of the children. A group of children play together on the see-saws, singing their favourite songs.
• The book area is popular with the children. Some children enjoy sitting and looking at books, others listen to stories through headphones. Some of the books help children to understand that there are different cultures and customs in the world.
• Parents are very pleased with the care their children receive. They comment that staff help children to settle and are very flexible in their approach. Parents say that they help to establish children's starting points and receive frequent updates about their progress. Staff are always available to discuss any issues parents have and they feel well supported.
• There are good partnerships with other settings children attend, including school. Staff, sometimes, attend training with school staff. Prior to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, pre-school children attended some school events and it is hoped these can be rekindled. Information between settings is shared and this helps to support a common approach to children's learning and care.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan activities that take better consideration of the interests and abilities of the children, including using appropriate resources that help to support their learning needs
• give children time to think about their responses to questions to help them express their own ideas.