Botesdale and Rickinghall Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents

This provision is good • The manager is proactive and works with staff, parents and the committee to identify ways to improve. For example, the pre-school has built a log cabin to enhance and extend children's experiences at the end of the day when the main hall is not available.

• Staff make accurate assessments of what children can do and use this information to identify their next steps in learning. They use this information to plan activities and make particular resources available. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress from their starting points.

• Children benefit from extended periods of ...outdoor play and opportunities to be active. They experiment with weighing scales and varied materials including sand, mud and gravel. Children explore the woodland freely and recall key safety rules.

For example, they know how to safely transport large sticks and remember which plants have prickles. • Children engage well with group activities, such as parachute games, where they practise their listening, turn-taking and concentration skills. They laugh delightedly as they bounce balls on the material and pretend to catch 'mice' hiding underneath.

• Parents commend the 'brilliant' staff. They talk about the bonds their children form with staff and how they talk frequently about them at home. Parents appreciate the supportive, community atmosphere of the setting and the variety of events organised for families.

• Staff do not always consider the impact of background noise, for instance music, on children's ability to listen and engage in other activities. • Staff do not consistently encourage children to take part in routines that help to keep them safe and the environment organised, such as tidying up, throughout the session. • Parents are not consistently provided with information that will support them to support their children's progress in learning at home.