Aspull Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate exceptionally high levels of emotional well-being and thrive in this vibrant and nurturing pre-school. Staff fully understand the importance of ensuring that children feel emotionally secure at the pre-school. Children have exceptional bonds with staff, whose level of nurture for children is commendable. Staff show a passion for teaching children to show respect for one another. For example, they support children to celebrate their friends' achievements through songs about respect. Children cheer and clap as their friends receive the 'respect champion' sash. All children are fully aware of staff's expectations for their behaviour and behave exceptionally well. Consequently, all children have a real sense of belonging in this outstanding pre-school.

Leaders and staff create their own unique curriculum, which focuses on children's personal, social and emotional development and communication and language. Staff recognise the importance of these areas and the impact they have on all other areas of children's development. They have extremely clear learning intentions tailored to each individual child's unique interests and preferred learning styles. Furthermore, staff skilfully sequence learning to ensure that all children build on their prior learning. This helps children to make exceptional progress when working towards meeting their individual milestones. They display extremely positive attitudes to their learning.

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

• Knowledgeable staff swiftly adapt their teaching to ensure that all children remain focused and engaged in their learning. For example, as younger children point out their 'flashing shoes', staff expertly weave this emerging interest into the activity. They ask very effective questions to extend children's knowledge and ensure that children benefit fully from the intended learning.
• The curriculum for communication and language is superb. Staff consistently use extensive vocabulary that builds on what children already know. They ensure that children hear new words in context and help them to understand the meaning. For example, children confidently explain that a tambourine is a percussion instrument. Children are confident and articulate communicators.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive exceptional support. Staff undertake training and work closely with parents and carers and other professionals to enable them to create individual learning support plans for children with SEND. Furthermore, they seamlessly weave the home languages of children who speak English as additional language into all parts of the daily routine. For example, staff frequently sing nursery rhymes in the languages of the children who attend. This helps all children to access learning alongside their peers and make excellent progress.
• Staff use every moment as an opportunity to enthuse and engage children in their learning. Staff value the diverse backgrounds of families and encourage them to share their cultures and traditions in the pre-school. Children learn about what makes them unique. In addition, children excitedly recall the air ambulance helicopter landing on the green opposite the pre-school. Staff use this opportunity to discuss the different roles of the pilot and paramedic and how by working together they help people in the community.
• Staff actively promote the importance of healthy bodies and healthy minds. Healthy eating, exercise, rest and oral hygiene are embedded in the curriculum. For example, children take part in meditation sessions throughout the day. They sit in a meditation pose and naturally close their eyes as they take part in breathing techniques. Staff use these experiences to help children to understand the equal importance of physical and emotional well-being.
• Children learn how to be independent and to keep themselves safe. For example, during snack time, staff ask children to choose and serve themselves a snack of their choice. Children use a range of knives safely. For example, under supervision, younger children use butter knives to butter their toast. In addition, older children confidently explain how to slice strawberries lengthways so that they do not choke.
• Staff go above and beyond to provide tailored support, guidance and advice to parents. They recognise and value the fundamental role they play in families' lives and the impact this has on children. Parents speak exceptionally highly of staff and note the excellent progress their children make. They state that they feel fully involved in their children's learning and that communication is excellent.
• Leaders are inspirational. They value staff and ensure that they provide continual training that is based on evidence-based research. Leaders support staff's well-being. Staff share that they feel valued and supported by leaders. They have a voice in the nursery, and leaders encourage them to share ideas. This helps to create a happy working environment.