Kennford Playbox

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are respectfully guided by the highly-skilled staff in a rich and exciting learning environment. The well-embedded, highly effective and ambitious curriculum ensures that all children make exceptional progress in their development. Leaders and staff prioritise what they want children to learn so they gain high levels of confidence, independence, language and physical abilities.

Children develop their curiosity, such as when they hunt for 'dinosaur bones' in the sand tray. Staff skilfully introduce new words and talk about being a 'palaeontologist'. Children ask questions to gain further understanding and relate ...this to what they know about dinosaurs.

Children of all ages develop excellent language as staff skilfully interact, model, repeat and extend their words. Staff creatively weave books, rhymes and songs into the curriculum to constantly extend vocabulary further.Staff ensure children gain strong mathematical skills and language.

For example, children use tools to make pizzas and cakes with play dough, where they discuss size and three-dimensional shapes. Children are engaged and maintain their attention extremely well as staff consistently and creatively plan and provide opportunities that build on each child's interests.Managers and staff place a strong importance on children's personal and emotional development.

They sensitively support children to recognise their feelings, creating sensory spaces to support children to regulate if they become overwhelmed. Staff work alongside parents to support positive behaviours, helping to prepare children very well for their next stage of learning.

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

Outstanding relationships with external professionals enable staff to follow consistent strategies and personal plans based on children's interests and needs, leading to very good progress with their language and communication.

As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities settle quickly and achieve well. Managers make very good use of additional funding to enhance children's learning and experiences. Music sessions enable children to sing and express their ideas musically.

Children look after the guinea pigs and, with commentary and support from responsive staff, learn to understand care routines and how to nurture.Partnerships with parents are extremely effective. This is an area the managers and staff have worked meticulously on since the last inspection.

They have adapted their communication to give parents a sound understanding of their child's development. Staff also learn more about what children know and can do to inform their planning for continuous learning. Regular meetings take place alongside the electronic system for updates.

Children, parents and staff value the sense of community this creates.Staff are led well by their inspirational managers and supportive committee to create an inclusive and welcoming environment with an ambitious curriculum. Children enthusiastically explore the creatively developed environment.

They use their senses in the sensory den and garden and use language confidently to describe how they feel, including what is calming for them. Staff skilfully encourage children to recognise when they may need some support and model how to care for their friends.Children develop high levels of confidence and perseverance in their play, with strong support from staff.

For example, children spend time initially exploring the chickpeas, spoons and containers. They learn how to fill different-sized bottles and about the sounds when different amounts of chickpeas are added and shaken. This leads to stories of 'potions' and fairy tales.

Staff listen and respond, encouraging children to take their ideas further.Staff skilfully adapt activities to include all children. For example, each child has a toy animal during the story 'Dear Zoo' to enable them to join in, act out the story and learn the repetitive words.

Staff enthusiastically model the story and provide opportunities to extend the language. Older children make creative suggestions of new words for the story, such as 'the frog is too ribbity'.Children are meticulously supported to become independent in their self-care as soon as they are ready.

Staff discuss with and support parents to ensure children are able to advance from nappies to using the toilet. Leaders want all children to confidently use the toilet, follow hand washing routines, and undress and dress themselves well before starting school. They consistently provide daily opportunities for children to practise these skills.

Parents praise the high level of communication from the staff and for the support they receive in this area. They also talk about the progress they have seen their children make with self-help skills since attending the pre-school.Leaders provide excellent support for staff to develop their own skills.

Recent training in forest school activities is enabling staff to provide better-quality outside experiences for the children. For example, children plant and grow fruit and vegetables, learn about healthy eating and chop and cook their produce. Children actively prepare snack time foods and begin to think about hygiene and safety.

Leaders ensure quality time for staff to interact and play with the children as they limit the paperwork staff need to complete.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.