Rotherfield Village Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

All children are excited and eager to learn.

They feel safe and secure in the setting and develop excellent relationships with the staff. The staff are highly engaged in the children's learning, and the children make rapid progress across the areas of learning. There is an abundance of highly stimulating and challenging activities, inside and outside, and the staff's caring approach ensures that all children reach their potential and thrive in the setting.

The management team has high expectation of the staff and they work together to ensure their continuous personal development. The children have excellent beha...viour and display kindness towards their friends and the staff team. They are always keen to undertake tasks to assist the staff members.

Children become engrossed in activities. Staff are extremely skilled in offering challenging and open-ended questions to very successfully develop children's vocabulary and language. Children are highly independent.

They complete tasks, such as pouring drinks and spreading their choice of topping at snack time, extremely confidently from a young age. They become skilled at keeping themselves safe. For instance, they carefully use china and glass utensils.

Outside in the mud kitchen, they use child-safe knives very competently to cut up real vegetables during their game.

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

The staff team has a vast amount of experience in early years and skilfully provides children with a varied and challenging curriculum. The activities are planned around the interests of the children and they are highly engaged throughout.

Children are well prepared for school or their next stage of learning.The children are free to safely explore the setting, and all the equipment and resources are stored in easily accessible low-level storage so that the children can self-select them. Children eagerly use the recently purchased large interactive whiteboard.

Younger children are fascinated as they make marks with their hands on the screen.The staff build on the children's learning. They constantly add new language into the children's play to ensure that they are extending their vocabulary at all times.

Children are enchanted during a storytelling session. Staff extend their learning exceptionally well and children draw pictures of what is happening as the story unfolds.Children benefit from an abundance of physical activities and have use of the large playing field and woodland area to the side of the setting.

The manager reports that the children love to put on the all-in-ones and slide down the mud bank. They also have use of the small scout hut and children take part in Little Kickers to promote physical development and Tiger Club to build their resilience.The exemplary behaviour of the children shows that the boundaries and rules of the setting are well embedded and the children follow these with ease.

They show kindness towards each other and wait patiently for their turn at an activity. The staff are excellent at ensuring that activities are suitable for all children, including any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.The staff recognise and value the children as individuals.

They are caring and nurturing and clearly know the families well. They have some children with particular needs and allergies, and the setting works exceptionally well with parents to ensure that the children are included and that the parents are happy. The parents refer to the setting as a 'home from home' and a place where the staff offer a 'caring and loving' relationship.

Members of the management team have high expectations of the staff. They ensure that professional development opportunities are available and feel that their well-being is paramount. The staff speak highly of the support they receive from the management team and its open-door approach.

Children have rich and varied opportunities that help them gain an excellent understanding of people, families and communities outside of their own. They regularly exchange drawings and letters with a child in Uganda. Staff invite parents to come in and share their experiences and skills, such as cooking food with children or showing them their traditional dress.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Safeguarding is highly effective. The staff have an excellent understanding of how to keep children safe and how to recognise signs of abuse.

They are highly vigilant and know how to act if a concern arises. They have regular training and robust systems are in place for the recording and referral of safeguarding issues. Staff's suitability is constantly monitored and staff know that they can speak to the management team at any time to ensure their own well-being and that of the children.