Long Wittenham Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very confident in the familiar surroundings. They quickly settle into their play and engage with their friends and all staff. They are intrigued about new situations and new people and ask lots of questions to find out more about what they are doing. Children behave well. Staff have high expectations of children, who learn to cooperate and negotiate in their play.

Children are curious and want to know how things work. They develop confidence from watching other children play, modelling their learning. They explore and experiment to find things out while they play. They question everything; how things grow, what makes a wheelbarrow's wheels go round and why the ball is stuck in the cup. They are persistent in finding a solution to their questions to enable them to continue their own learning. They confidently ask for help when they are unable to do anything by themselves.

Children develop self-help skills through the daily routines and the effective support from staff. Children learn to choose what to play with and where to play, extending their play from inside to outside and back again. Children understand the importance of hygiene through routines, discussions and support from staff. For example, they learn to manage their own toileting and handwashing. Staff play a vital role in promoting children's oral health. Children talk about cleaning their teeth so that they can bite an apple.

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

• Children's communication skills are very well supported. Staff have completed additional training and initiated support to help children who lack confidence and the ability to communicate their needs. Children vocalise throughout their play, making noises for vehicles, animals and construction tools. They use complex vocabulary during group play. For example, children tell the inspector that ice creams will melt in the oven, but lemons go solid in the oven.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive excellent levels of support. Staff identify their needs and work in partnership with parents and other professionals. They plan activities and experiences that link to children's best ways of learning. Children's achievements are celebrated, however small, and shared with parents. Parents gain high levels of support to manage referrals and communications with other professionals to help meet children's ongoing needs.
• Most of the time, staff promote children's development in all areas of learning. However, they do not always successfully implement play opportunities to fully embed children's interests. For example, staff have recognised that some children need extra encouragement to make marks and to learn about everyday mathematical concepts throughout their play. Staff do not fully engage with children to encourage interest in these particular learning opportunities.
• Children thoroughly enjoy their group activities, such as story times, song times, role play and mealtimes. They learn to enjoy each other's company and take time to listen to the views and opinions of others. Staff use discussions to help children learn about other children's lives, including how their experiences may be different to their own.
• Staff successfully support children during their transitions to their next place of learning. Staff work alongside the local school to give children experiences, such as visiting the farm alongside the reception class, to help them to be familiar with school staff. Parents speak highly of staff's support to help children with family transitions, such as new babies. They highly appreciate the support for the children and themselves.
• Parents receive plentiful information from staff about their children's day. For instance, they receive photos about their children's achievements and their play. They feel reassured that children are well supervised. They feel welcomed into the pre-school to discuss any aspects of their children's learning and care.
• The management team works closely together to provide a cohesive support system for the ongoing development of staff. Managers work alongside other professionals to develop their skills, knowledge and expertise to support staff's practice, particularly with regard to the needs of the current cohort of children attending.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• evaluate teaching strategies and experiences to provide children with more ways to develop their skills even further.