Toybox Pre School at Brighton Women’s Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children thoroughly enjoy attending this highly inclusive and nurturing pre-school.

Staff know children extremely well and superbly plan a varied, well-thought-out and flexible curriculum. They reflect daily on their teaching and are highly effective in continually building on what children know and can do. For instance, staff expertly use every opportunity to build on children's language and communication, including children who speak English as an additional language.

During a dough activity, staff skilfully introduce new words and show children the actions of 'squash' and 'squeeze'. They talk seamlessly to ch...ildren about the sounds that these words make. This supports early language development extremely well.

Staff expertly extend children's language further during their play. For instance, when children are deeply involved in highly imaginative dinosaur play, staff introduce new words, such as 'evacuate', and explain their meaning. Staff's superb interactions with children help them to make rapid progress in their communication and social skills.

Staff are highly enthusiastic about their work, and the children are their priority. They are excellent role models and teach children to be kind and respectful to others. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who receive additional funding, make excellent progress in their learning and development.

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

Children's voices and well-being are at the heart of this pre-school. They are highly valued, respected and strongly supported by nurturing practitioners. For instance, children regularly vote for activities to participate in and stories to be read.

The experienced staff skilfully include the children's interests and individual learning needs when planning the curriculum. As a result, children are confident to share their own thoughts and ideas. They eagerly take part in dance and movement, yoga and a wide range of creative activities.

Staff expertly use the local environment to enable children to have rich, varied and imaginative experiences. For example, children relish going on adventures to local parks, museums, aquariums, art exhibitions and the beach. Children demonstrate that they know what to do in preparation for the outings to keep themselves safe.

They join in early mathematical activities, such as counting each other. Children remind the inspector to take her water bottle to help stay refreshed.Staff plan an abundance of educational learning opportunities for the children, which they know they will enjoy.

Consequently, children have impressive attitudes to their learning. For example, they thoroughly enjoy working together to create a map of what they have seen on a recent outing. They concentrate for sustained periods of time, confidently using a wide variety of felt-tip pens and pencils.

Staff recognise and praise their contributions exceptionally quickly. As a result, children remain highly motivated and develop a strong sense of self-esteem.Children's health is significantly enhanced through a range of stimulating and innovative ideas.

For example, staff introduced 'food adventures' to children. Staff make this time an exciting journey for children. Together, they have great fun making fruit kebabs, smoothies, lollies and cakes with vegetables such as carrots and courgettes.

Consequently, children's knowledge of healthy eating is enhanced. In addition, children always take home a food item they have made along with the recipe for parents to use at home.Children with SEND are extremely well supported.

They are fully included, and teaching is adapted as necessary. Staff continually ensure that families are superbly supported, and a close partnership with other professionals contributes to this.Parents speak highly of the team.

They say that their children would love to attend at weekends and during holiday times. Parents enthusiastically comment about the invaluable support that the manager and her staff provide. They say that they would be lost without them and that they are like family.

The inspirational manager and staff go over and above for children and families. The provider gives high priority to staff's well-being. Leaders monitor, review and continually improve the ongoing quality of the provision.

Their excellent oversight of the pre-school and continuous training have ensured that the high standards continually rise.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Safeguarding is robust, and highly effective procedures are in place.

Staff have an excellent understanding of a broad range of child protection issues. They have extensive training opportunities to support children and their families and to learn about local issues. Children's well-being and safety are the staff's utmost priority at all times.

They provide extra support to families as and when is necessary and work closely with safeguarding and health agencies. Children know how to keep themselves safe and are encouraged to take risks in their play. They beam with delight when they reach the top of the climbing apparatus in the park.