Manor Farm Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The pre-school is a hive of learning, fun and activity. All children benefit from an extremely safe and stimulating environment. Children are completely engrossed in their learning from the moment they enter the pre-school until the end of the session. They benefit from the abundance of well-planned activities and resources, which staff set up for them. All the children thrive with rich experiences that help them to learn about the world around them. For example, children relish looking at insects they have found in the excellent garden area. They talk about the different insects features, as they observe them closely through magnifying glasses. They learn how to treat insects with care as they place them into pots and into the 'bug hotel' they have helped to build. Children are extremely busy and know what is expected of them. They behave exceptionally well and treat each other with kindness and respect.

A highly sensitive settling-in process means that all children are extremely happy and confident in the pre-school. Staff conduct home visits prior to children starting so they can get to know the children in their familiar environment. They gather detailed information from parents to meticulously meet the needs of children and their families. The manager thinks of innovative ways to support families through big life events. For example, she selects and personally delivers story books to re-assure parents and children when they start at the setting, or if children are having an operation.

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

• When the setting briefly closed during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the manager and staff worked tirelessly and extremely closely with parents to support children's learning. For example, children received daily activities while at home and took part in fun interactive stories using props. The pre-school continued with their Easter raffle. They held the draw live online, hand delivering the prizes to family's doorsteps. For those children who receive additional funding, toys, resources and books were sent home for them.
• Leaders and staff have extremely high expectations for all children, regardless of their backgrounds and any special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff monitor children's development very closely. They work collaboratively with parents and other professionals to support children who are at risk of falling behind in comparison to their peers. The quality of the curriculum intent is shared and supported exceptionally well across the team. Highly focused teaching enables all children to make the best possible progress in their learning.
• Staff are highly adept at tailoring their interactions to meet the individual needs of the children they are working with. They interact skilfully with children to provide them with unlimited opportunities to think critically and express themselves. Such as, when staff ask them what they think will happen if they add water to the sandpit. They allow children the independence to find out for themselves. Children relish the freedom of testing out their thoughts and ideas as they fetch water in containers. They enthusiastically talk about the changes to the sand after water is added.
• The highly reflective leadership and staff team regularly monitor the quality of the provision and their practice. Leaders recognised that the provision for children's mathematical development was less effective. They sought training opportunities for staff who were able to share their learning with the rest of the team. As a result, children benefit from a wealth of opportunities to develop their mathematical thinking. Plans for ongoing improvement are highly effective in helping children to achieve the best they can and benefit from the widest range of experiences possible. For example, leaders sought funding to re-develop the outdoor environment so that children can benefit from endless rich experiences. Children happily play in the 'road' area of the garden. They develop physical skills and learn the importance of road safety as they navigate the 'roads' with ride on toys. They use their imaginations and re-enact familiar scenarios as they busily wash their cars with sponges and cloths after parking them in the 'car wash'.
• Children are extremely well supported to develop important independence skills and learn how to keep themselves safe. During snack time, staff ask children to choose and serve themselves a drink of their choice. Children relish the opportunity to chop their fruit snacks under careful supervision and learn how to hold the knife safely. Staff skilfully guide children to safely hold construction tools as they carefully saw and hammer nails into wood.
• Parents highly rate what they consider to be an exceptionally caring and communicative staff team. Parents praise the high-quality education opportunities available to their children. Furthermore, parents are particularly positive about the additional activities provided for their children, such as Spanish lessons and sporting events. In addition, they feel that the pre-school have supported their children's social skills incredibly in preparation for their move on to school.