Hampton in Arden Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children love their time at this warm, nurturing and inclusive pre-school. Staff treat children with respect and get to know them exceptionally well. Staff use their acquired knowledge to ensure that planning reflects children's interests and fascinations. Children become extremely focused and engaged in their play. They spend prolonged periods investigating and developing their ideas with skilful support from staff. Children confidently make choices. They are secure in the knowledge that they can select and use a range of resources to extend their play.

Children have numerous opportunities to spend time outdoors in the vast, natural learning environment. They develop their physical strength and agility as they lift and move large pieces of equipment such as crates and planks. Children delight in turning over the logs with staff to seek out the creatures that live beneath them. Staff introduce and reinforce new vocabulary to support children's communication and language. For example, staff support children to distinguish between woodlice and slugs.

Children enjoy imaginary play. Staff take a lead from them and ensure their high-quality interactions build on what children already know and can do. For example, in role play, children eagerly check what staff members have bought from their farm shop. They are keen to use the till to scan items and place them in the basket. Children are confident communicators. Staff consistently respond positively to children's verbal and non-verbal communication. As a result of this sensitive approach to interaction, children feel valued and respected.

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

• Leaders have developed a strong, well-sequenced curriculum that is ambitious for every child. They work closely with staff to ensure a clear vision across the setting. Staff have excellent child development knowledge. Their teaching is of the highest quality. The curriculum focuses sharply on the lived experiences of the children who attend.
• Leaders offer the highest level of support for staff to develop professionally. They have access to a range of training opportunities that further enhance their skill, knowledge and understanding. Leaders model reflective practice. They work together with staff to evaluate the service on offer to children and consistently drive improvement.
• Children access a rich range of exciting and innovative activities that support all areas of the curriculum. Some children joyfully stir their mud cake mixture and count leaves. Staff use sticks to consolidate children's understanding of numbers from one to five and model simple addition. Children thoroughly enjoy using their small hand muscles to pinch, squeeze, roll and manipulate dough into a ball, which supports their early writing skills.
• Children participate in many experiences that support their understanding of the world around them. For example, staff organise a visit from a local farmer who brings lambs into pre-school. Leaders and staff also maximise opportunities for children to learn about their local community. Together, they go on short walks to explore the countryside. Children take part in fundraising activities in partnership with other community organisations.
• Children are independent. They register themselves on arrival at the pre-school and hang up their coats and bags. Staff skilfully support children to carry out tasks for themselves. They assume an unhurried approach to give children time and space to persevere with putting on their own wellington boots. At snack time, children competently pour their own drinks from small jugs. This helps to develop their hand-eye coordination.
• Children benefit greatly from a purposeful routine that prioritises their needs. They develop excellent attention and listening skills. Staff plan transitions to ensure that children can move smoothly from one experience to another. For example, children wash their hands and immediately serve themselves with snack as they sit down. This contributes to children's exemplary behaviour.
• Children are confident and resilient. For example, they design and build a bridge across the room using the soft construction bricks. Children work collaboratively to deal with challenges as they build. Staff skilfully narrate children's actions and support them to adapt and extend their ideas. They remind children to hold their arms out to help them balance as they carefully walk along their bridge. Children tell visitors that the bridge is for the Billy Goats Gruff.
• Parents cannot praise the setting highly enough. They state that the leaders and staff work in strong partnership with them. Parents are thrilled with the links to home learning, such as the bear that children bring home and the learning library. Parents comment extremely positively on the detailed and purposeful feedback from their child's key person. They appreciate the strong working relationships the setting develops with other professionals to ensure children receive the support they need to thrive.