Horsted Keynes Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy and very independent learners. They greet staff and their friends with great enthusiasm, and they show enormous excitement for their day. Children and staff have developed wonderful relationships that help children feel exceptionally safe and secure. Children demonstrate extremely high levels of confidence. For example, they are very proud to show that they have learned new skills, such as putting on their own coats, and they eagerly invite visitors into their play.

Children flourish in the setting. They are extremely confident and intensely engaged in the wide range of exciting activities, opportunities and experiences on offer. Children have ample opportunities to play and learn inside and outside. They develop an excellent understanding of mathematical language and concepts. For example, children become deeply involved in water play as they fill, tip and pour water through tubes and containers.

Children have excellent opportunities to discover the world around them. For example, children show great excitement when searching for snails. They show high levels of curiosity, concentration and develop a rich language when discussing snails' living conditions, their differences and the importance of using 'gentle hands'. Children learn to show great respect and care for living things and have built their own 'bug hotel'.

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

• Staff plan exciting activities that very successfully capture children's imagination. Children use all their senses as they explore the highly stimulating and tactile resources that are set out for them. For example, children play imaginatively with real fruit and herbs in the garden. They skilfully cut lemons and limes, adding herbs to the pretend drinks.
• Children become intensely involved in things that interest them. For example, they ask to make 'chocolate ice cream' for the role-play ice cream shop. They enthusiastically find all the correct ingredients, talk about how to make 'ice cream', giggle loudly when they notice it is too dry or too sticky and understand what ingredients to add to rectify this. Children find it highly amusing to use chocolate powder, constantly talking about the smell of 'yummy chocolate'. Staff engage children in conversation and superbly ask questions to encourage their thinking and extend their imagination.
• Staff are excellent role models and provide sensitive and skilful support to children to be helpful, caring and kind to others. Children are very clear about the rules and boundaries of the setting. For example, children understand the importance of sharing resources during an art activity, taking turns on the climbing frame and demonstrating excellent social skills. Staff involve children in everyday tasks that help them develop a sense of ownership and belonging. Staff clearly praise children's efforts and encourage their achievements. This helps to raise children's confidence and self-esteem.
• Staff build on children's experiences and teach them about their community and the wider world. For example, they take children on local walks to explore village life, tend allotments and practise road safety. Staff at the pre-school have an excellent relationship with staff at a local care home. Children visit residents and take part in singing and story sessions. This teaches children to understand and respect different people in the community, preparing them for their future lives.
• Partnerships with parents are superb. Staff share information very effectively, helping parents to gain an excellent understanding of their child's learning and development. Parents comment that they feel exceptionally lucky that their child attends. They also report that, at times, their child does not want to leave. Staff go to great lengths to support children's learning at home. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they offered singing and story sessions, home learning ideas and a bunny hunt within the village.
• The outstanding quality of teaching ensures that staff include every child in all experiences and opportunities, regardless of their stage of development. Staff talk extremely confidently about their key children. They continually observe children to build on what children already know and can do and fully support their next steps in learning. Every child's individuality is valued as a result of the staff's expert knowledge and understanding of all children's development and abilities. Pre-school staff have built excellent partnerships with staff at other settings and local schools children attend. This ensures all information is routinely shared to support children's transition to their next stage of learning.