Dinton Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at pre-school with excitement and are greeted by warm, caring and dedicated staff. Children are exceptionally well behaved. They share and take turns extremely well. Children have very high levels of self-esteem. They are proud of their achievements and of those of their friends. Children throw their hands in their air and say, 'You did it!,' when other children successfully balance toy cars on top of each other, for example. Staff celebrate children's successes. For example, children make up stories, which staff write down and share with other children. Children beam with pride as they are applauded at the end. This inspires other children to ask if they can 'write' their own stories and nurtures their imagination.

Children use language exceptionally well. They describe a tree as a 'twisty tree' and talk to staff about the 'stillness' as they listen quietly in the forest school. They spend plenty of time outside and are very physically active. Children learn to manage risks for themselves. For example, they make their own obstacle courses. Staff extend children's language continually through high-quality interactions. They plan activities carefully to encourage children to test out their ideas and solve problems. For example, children suggest using a rope to remove a digger 'stuck' in the ice. Children are extremely motivated to learn and concentrate for very long periods.

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

• Leaders and managers carefully structure and sequence the curriculum to ensure all children make rapid progress from their starting points. Robust assessment and targeted interventions are in place to support children to reach the best possible outcomes.
• The manager works with integrity to ensure that funding is used effectively to meet the individual needs of children. Packs are available for families, which provide themed resources, books and toys to support learning at home.
• Staff ensure all children have the knowledge they need to prepare them for their next stage in education and their future lives in modern Britain. For example, stories are chosen daily according to the votes they receive to teach children respect and tolerance for others and the concept of fairness.
• Staff are extremely well supported through regular meetings, appraisals and supervisions. Training is expertly tailored to meet the needs of children and interests of staff to ensure children receive the best possible teaching and learning.
• Children develop a love of reading through inspiring and engaging storytelling and staff's skilled use of props. Children act out stories with excitement and 'roar' as they pretend to be the bear from a story. They learn how to scan and borrow books from the library bus as they 'zap' them out.
• Children are consistently immersed in rich language. Older children learn about rhyming words as they make 'silly soup'. Staff skilfully narrate younger children's play to enrich their vocabulary. They repeat back their speech to support correct pronunciation of words and add new ones.
• Children enjoy caring for the chickens, collecting eggs and their weekly trips to the on-site forest school. Staff talk with children about 'being kind' to insects so that they learn to respect the world around them. Children spontaneously sweep and tidy up after themselves and take care of their environment.
• Younger children enjoy a range of sensory experiences. They explore with ice, water and sand, and make potions that develop their small-muscle skills and creativity. Older children manipulate play dough, use tools to dig and make junk model boats to help build muscles for early writing.
• Children use mathematical language as they play. They say that a stick is 'too long to hold'. Children use calculators in the 'veterinary surgery' and scales to weigh real fruit. They count as they go up and down stairs. They follow a play dough recipe on a blackboard with staff to learn to recognise numbers in a meaningful way.
• Parents are extremely happy with the care and education their children receive. They say that staff are 'warm, friendly and empathic'. Parents appreciate the advice and support offered to them and value the pre-school's focus on nature and the outdoors.