Lewknor Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff know the children well and greet them warmly when they arrive at this small, village pre-school. Children settle quickly and are eager to join in with play as soon as they arrive. They have warm and caring attachments with staff and demonstrate their feelings of emotional security. They are able to choose from the wide variety of stimulating activities available to them inside.

Staff are good role models. Children feel safe, secure and listened to, as staff adopt a consistent approach towards managing behaviour. For example, children line up quickly when it is time to wash their hands before lunch. Children behave well and have good attitudes to learning. They are kind and considerate to each other and know how to share resources appropriately. Staff support children to build on their skills and knowledge to prepare them well for starting school.

Children initiate their own learning and are interested to play with a wide range of resources. For example, they explore with construction toys to design and build their own structures. They safely use tools, such as saws and hammers, with enthusiasm. Despite facing some challenges, children persevere with their play, and they proudly explain to staff what they have built. This helps to build children's confidence, resilience and self-esteem.

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

• Staff gather a range of information from parents when children join the pre-school. This helps the staff to know children's starting points and their wider life outside the pre-school. The leadership team provides a curriculum that follows children's interests and the development of the skills they will need for future learning. However, opportunities for professional development are not always closely linked to the needs of individual children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• The transition process for new children joining or moving to pre-school is designed by staff to support children to feel safe and secure. Links with staff at the local school are good. This helps to promote a smooth transfer for children when they are ready to move on to the next stage of their learning.
• Children enjoy playing outside. The frost on benches enthrals children, and they are fascinated by the ice covering leaves in pans. They excitedly call staff to see and share their discoveries. However, planning for activities in the outside area does not yet fully support learning across different areas of the curriculum. This means that children do not get the same rich experiences as they do inside.
• Staff support children's communication skills effectively. They develop children's understanding of common words and language patterns. Staff speak slowly and clearly to children, repeating words and modelling sentences so that they hear the correct way to say them. Conversations flow easily between children and adults. Children want to share their interests and express themselves well.
• Staff encourage children from a young age to develop a real interest in books. Children freely choose books to read and show an interest in stories. They become engrossed as they snuggle next to staff to listen. They eagerly point to illustrations and predict what might happen next. This helps to broaden children's language development and widens the range of words they use.
• Staff promote children's good health. Children learn about, and can recognise, healthy and non-healthy foods and talk to staff about the differences. Children develop their physical skills through a range of experiences. For example, they practise their physical skills as they confidently manoeuvre ride-on toys around obstacles.
• Staff work together effectively. They report that they feel supported by their committee and feel that their well-being is always taken into account. Staff undertake statutory training and implement what they learn so that the children benefit. Parents are very complimentary about the pre-school and staff. They fully appreciate the efforts of staff to support them and their children.
• All staff are confident to follow safeguarding procedures, including the procedures for whistle-blowing, should they have concerns about a child in their care. All staff follow an induction process and receive mandatory training, such as safeguarding and paediatric first aid.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop teaching skills further, especially in relation to strategies to support children with SEND, so that all children make progress from their starting points
• improve how staff plan activities outside to ensure the curriculum and learning experiences reflect those planned for inside.