Tudor Cross Pre-School CIC

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in this friendly pre-school. They are excited to arrive and eager to explore activities. Children who are new to the pre-school are welcomed by nurturing staff, who gently guide them through the morning routine. Children are excited to explore learning opportunities, which staff carefully plan based on their interests. For example, children enjoy pretending to serve each other food. Staff have turned a playhouse into a restaurant scene to encourage their role play and develop children's social skills.

Children form close bonds with staff. They cuddle up together to share stories, and playfully chase one another in the garden. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have particularly close relationships with their key staff. They are affectionate towards them and demonstrate they feel safe and secure in their care.

Children show high levels of self-confidence. They engage well with visitors and delight at showing them their artwork. Children talk excitedly about the various shapes they make out of dough. Staff support children's self-esteem well. They offer lots of praise for children's achievements and provide opportunities for children to display their talents. For example, children perform to their friends on the indoor and outdoor stages.

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

• The manager and staff reflect regularly on the care they offer. They monitor children's progress to identify what aspects of their practice may need adapting. For example, staff recently made changes to the pre-school environment. Children have more opportunity to participate in small-group activities. This supports their social development.
• Children with SEND are well supported in the pre-school. Managers demonstrate integrity in the way they distribute additional funding. They provide additional resources and one-to-one support. This allows all children equal access to learning opportunities.
• Staff place sharp focus on children's early literacy skills. Children have access to a wide variety of age-appropriate books in the cosy book corner and enjoy exploring stories in the outdoor seating areas. Staff have recently set up a library at the entrance to the pre-school. This enables parents to support children's literacy development at home.
• Children are learning about healthy eating. Staff provide a variety of healthy meals and snacks which children serve themselves. This supports their growing independence. Mealtimes are a sociable occasion. Children sit together with staff, who support their understanding of appropriate table manners.
• Staff work hard to form close relationships with families from the start. They gather essential information about children's early experiences. From this they plan learning opportunities to support children's well-being and development. For example, staff work hard to make improvements to the garden area. This allows children continuous access to outdoor space and supports their physical development.
• Children demonstrate good manners. They thank staff for meals and snacks and help one another in completing tasks. Staff have strategies in place to support children's understanding of managing conflict. For example, they provide sand timers to use during popular activities. However, staff do not consistently encourage children to make use of them. Children are not learning the importance of taking turns in activities.
• Staff supervise children's play well. They engage them in high-quality conversations and role-model new words. Staff support children's mathematical development in activities. For example, children roll cars and balls down ramps. Staff encourage them to count the various objects and identify their colours. However, staff do not consistently extend children's learning beyond what they already know in activities.
• The manager conducts regular appraisals on all staff. This enables her to identify areas for development. Staff have access to a variety of additional training resources to support them in extending their knowledge. However, staff would benefit from more consistent coaching opportunities. This would support them in raising the quality of their teaching.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance current behaviour management strategies to support children's understanding of appropriate behaviour and taking turns
• establish more robust methods of coaching to support staff to understand ways to consistently challenge and extend children's learning.