Treetops Preschool & Extended Schools Provision CIC

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and staff greet them warmly. Staff work very closely with parents from the outset. For example, they organise flexible settling-in processes that meet children's individual needs. Staff take great care to learn about children's routines, likes and dislikes. This helps children to settle quickly. Children demonstrate that they feel secure and safe. They build strong bonds with staff and friendships with their peers.

Children behave well. They play cooperatively, take turns with resources and show good manners. For example, at snack time, children say please and thank you when staff offer them a drink. Staff model kindness and empathy in their interactions with parents, children and one another. Children mirror this in their communication with others. For example, they remind staff to 'be careful with the knife' when cutting fruit, demonstrating care, consideration and an understanding of risk.

Children enjoy plenty of fresh air and exercise in the outdoor space. They learn how to keep their bodies healthy. For example, staff teach them how to clean their teeth and discuss the benefits of eating healthy food with them. Staff encourage children to be independent in preparation for school. Children put on their coats, put their lunch boxes away after eating and tidy up after themselves.

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

• Staff create an ethos that helps children feel safe and valued. Children approach staff for support when needed and receive comfort from them. Children's emotional development is well nurtured. Staff morale is high, and their well-being is also of high priority to the provider.
• The provider serves as a hub of the community, maintaining close links with external organisations and groups. For example, they work closely with the local authority, health visitors and the children's centre to support families and signpost them for support and guidance when needed.
• The provider recognises that change can be challenging for children. They are proactive in managing transitions to pre-school and school. For example, they organise a toddler group in the adjoining hall for parents and children to attend. This means children become familiar with staff and the environment in advance of attending the pre-school.
• Children learn about their local area through community trips. For example, groups of children visit the garden centre with staff to purchase sand to fill the sand pit. This helps them to learn to take responsibility for small tasks and interact with other people in different environments.
• Staff read stories with enthusiasm, which children enjoy listening to. Some children join in with the key parts, recalling past learning. This helps to develop a love of reading and promotes children's literacy and language skills.
• Children develop their physical skills in the outdoor space as they run, climb and explore. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the provider purchased new equipment to develop children's muscles, which they identified was needed after extended time spent indoors. For example, they had a stile installed for children to climb over to access the garden area.
• Staff provide numerous opportunities for children to engage in sensory play, developing their creativity and encouraging exploration of various textures. For example, children manipulate play dough with their hands, dig in the sand with tools and pour water from jugs. This also helps to develop their small muscles in preparation for early writing.
• The provider has a good understanding of what they want children to learn. However, the curriculum is not always effective in providing sufficient challenge for some children. For example, children's critical thinking is not always well nurtured. Staff do not use questioning appropriately to encourage children to think deeply or provide challenging activities that promote problem solving. At times, children do not have the space they need to explore their ideas independently. For example, staff do not always identify when children are fully immersed in play and adult intervention is not required.
• Staff join in with children as they play and offer them support. However, at times, more confident children capture staff's attention and quieter children are occasionally overlooked. For example, during group activities and mealtimes, staff direct their interactions to more confident children, who provide answers to their questions. This means that during these times, the quieter children's learning experiences are not extended as well.
• Parents report that staff work very effectively in partnership with them. They describe staff as 'caring' and feel well informed about their children's progress. Some parents say that staff go 'above and beyond,' working proactively with other professionals to help close any gaps that the pre-school has identified in children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the curriculum to ensure that it is appropriately challenging for all children, promotes children's critical thinking and allows children space to explore their own ideas
• build on staff's skills in consistently supporting all children to fully engage with the learning experiences offered, with particular regard to quieter children.