Tutbury Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and parents are greeted warmly by the friendly manager and staff. Children are happy and enthusiastic to be at the pre-school, and quickly become immersed in their play. Children form strong attachments to their key person and staff, which helps them to feel safe and secure. They receive an abundance of praise and encouragement for their achievements. For example, children enjoy receiving a 'high five' and staff say, 'good job' when children complete a task successfully. This helps to boost children's self-esteem and encourages perseverance. Children's behaviour is good. They play cooperatively with their peers and respond positively to gentle reminders from staff on how to share and take turns. Children are beginning to understand the vocabulary of emotions, which helps children to recognise and communicate how they feel.

Children have daily access to the outdoor areas. They ride on wheeled toys and have opportunities to play on large climbing equipment, which helps to develop their strength, balance and coordination. Children enjoy helping to plant and harvest vegetables in the preschool garden, which helps to develop their understanding of where food comes from and how to be healthy. Children delight when staff join in with their play. They thoroughly enjoy using their imagination in the role-play kitchen. Younger children pretend to wash pots and pans and make and serve 'cups of tea'. Staff provide children with a narrative as they play, ask good questions and introduce new words, which helps to support children's communication and language skills.

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

• All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points. The manager and staff provide effective support for children with SEND. They build strong links with other professionals to help ensure children receive support that focuses on their individual needs. Staff use 'now and next' boards and visual cues to support all children with transitions and nursery routines.
• Staff say they enjoy their roles and feel valued and supported. The manager provides staff with good professional development opportunities to extend their knowledge and skills even further. The manager works closely with the Reception class teacher from the local primary school, to ensure that children are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Parent partnerships are strong. Staff gather key information from parents before children attend the pre-school. This helps staff to plan effectively and build on what children already know and can do. Parents speak highly about the quality of care and education their children receive. They say that the pre-school is an integral part of the local community.
• The manager is passionate in providing high-quality care and education that supports children to become well-rounded individuals. The manager and staff work together to plan enjoyable activities around a breadth of topics, children's interests and what they need to learn next. However, the curriculum for mathematics is not promoted as well as it could be. The manager has identified the teaching of mathematics as an area for further development and is keen to make continuous improvements.
• There are strong links to other curriculum areas, such as understanding the world. Engaging topics, such as 'people who help us', are enriched through outings and welcome regular visitors into the setting, such as the police, vets and doctors. Children learn about the local community, and enjoy visits to the local shops and post letters in the post box.
• The manager and staff support children to develop a love of stories and books. Children choose their favourite stories and look at them independently. They thoroughly enjoy singing popular nursery rhymes. Older children enthusiastically apply their increasing vocabulary to make up their own words to old songs, developing a good sense of rhythm and rhyme.
• Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their fine motor skills in preparation for early writing. For example, younger children use paintbrushes to make marks in sand. Older children use pencils with increasing control and begin to form the letters of their name.
• Children have opportunities to develop an awareness of diversity and cultures represented in modern Britain. They celebrate traditional festivals, such as Chinese New Year and parents are invited to share their customs and traditions with the staff and children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the curriculum for mathematics to provide children with more opportunities to develop their mathematical language and skills even further.