Harpsden Woodland Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel safe and secure and confidently explore the variety of spaces at the pre-school. They delight in playing outdoors, where a lot of their learning takes place. The outdoor learning environment is stimulating and interesting, and outdoor learning is given high priority for all children. Children have opportunities to play inside and outside. They eagerly take part in forest-school sessions in the woodland garden. Staff support children to make independent choices and take appropriate risks. For example, children choose to explore the wooded areas, looking for 'bugs', and carefully negotiate around obstacles, such as piles of wood. They enthusiastically learn about the world around them and how to use the resources within it. For instance, they crush blackberries into a paste and use this to paint their faces and create camouflage.

Children show curiosity and are keen and motivated to learn and develop their skills. They concentrate well in activities that interest them. Children have great fun imaginatively 'cooking' and serving play food. They show their good knowledge as they name items and tell staff they have made them 'raspberry tea'.

Children are eager and motivated to join in and they have high levels of self-control. They have respect for one another and listen to adults, responding quickly to their instructions. For example, they play group games and understand the importance of sharing and taking turns.

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

• Staff provide a warm and welcoming environment for children. They know the children well and have a good understanding of how they learn and develop. Staff appreciate the importance of providing a range of activities to prepare children for their next stage in learning. They encourage children to be independent in their self-help skills and, as a result, children quickly learn how to take care of themselves. For example, they find their own belongings, make good progress in toilet training and know when to wash their hands.
• Effective implementation of the curriculum intent has had a significant impact on the personal, social and emotional development of the children. The result of staff's consistent building of children's secure attachments are evident. Children are entirely at ease. They are settled and eager to explore. This provides good foundations for children's confidence and ability to learn.
• Staff support children's communication and language well. They listen with interest to what children have to say and encourage them to recall their past experiences. However, during their discussions with children, staff sometimes overlook opportunities to challenge and extend children's interests and build on what they already know and can do.
• Children have many opportunities to develop basic mathematical skills. The staff display numbers around the setting to encourage children to recognise them. However, at times, staff are not quick enough to extend children's mathematical knowledge. For instance, when children comment on insects of interest and discuss the number of legs they have, this interest is not followed through by staff to add depth to children's mathematical understanding.
• Leaders and staff have a proactive approach to working in partnership with parents. They arrange regular meetings and provide guidance to support parents in contributing to children's early education and well-being. Parents are highly positive in their comments about the pre-school, especially regarding the progress that children make and how well staff care for them.
• Staff support children's early literacy skills well. Children show an interest in books and enjoy sitting quietly in the outdoor wigwam looking at them. As they 'read', children make remarks about what they see. For instance, they comment that the dog in the book has 'fluffy' ears.
• There are good partnerships with other agencies involved in children's care. Staff seek interventions and support for children with special education needs and/or disabilities. They work effectively with parents and agencies to ensure that children receive the support they need to make good progress.
• The manager supports staff well. For example, she meets with staff regularly to discuss and manage their workload and to identify any training or support needs. Staff are encouraged to attend face-to-face and online training to continually develop their existing knowledge and skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make better use of opportunities for children to extend their understanding of numbers and counting
• strengthen staff's interactions with children to make the most of opportunities to provide challenging learning experiences that build on what children already know and can do.