Meanwood Valley Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are highly independent in this inspiring pre-school. They are welcomed each day by the friendly and caring staff into an environment that ignites their excitement. Children are offered activities that promote excellent imagination skills. For example, children pretend to be different characters during puppet shows. They use animated voices and become fully engrossed in their roles. Children have exceptional opportunities to learn about diversity and different cultural traditions. For example, children take part in celebrations for Kurdish New Year and Chinese New Year. They learn about different countries. For instance, children create masks of animals from Africa, and learn how to use different combs on African American dolls hair. They role play with dolls and learn how some Africans carry their babies on their backs using cloths.

Children have excellent opportunities to develop their mathematical knowledge. For example, while playing with dough in the 'finger gym', children talk about size and length. They discuss the shapes of fruits as they draw them in a fruit basket, recalling the story of 'Handa's Surprise'. Staff make children's learning extremely enjoyable. For instance, they learn about safety as they excitedly play on the rope swing in the outdoor play area. Children patiently wait for their turn. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and are superb role models. Children are confident communicators. For example, children boldly show visitors around the pre-school. A culture of respect is fostered through the way staff and children speak to one another.

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

• Staff's knowledge of each child is exceptional. Home visits before children start, help staff to know the families very well. Staff use the information from children's starting points in development and their observations to plan a highly sequenced curriculum. Staff meet daily to discuss children and the plans for the day. They provide opportunities which meet children's individual needs and help them to make accelerated progress.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on developing children's communication and language. They model key vocabulary to a high standard, so that children talk confidently about their activities. For example, children explain how they are clearing an area in the garden to plant more fruits and vegetables. They explain that they have already grown strawberries and lemon balm.
• Parents are extremely happy with their child's experiences and the close bonds which they have with their key persons. They comment that staff are amazing and very caring. Parents receive an array of information, both written and verbally. This helps to ensure they are consistently kept up to date with plans for their children's learning and relevant information.
• Children learn about healthy lifestyles and develop their physical skills in a vast variety of ways. For example, they have nutritious snacks and superb opportunities to develop their physical skills. Children learn to take appropriate risks in their play. For instance, negotiating space in the garden and climbing on apparatus. Children dig for animals in the sand and run and catch bubbles.
• Staff provide children with numerous opportunities to develop their independence. For example, peeling their own fruit for snack and tidying up. Children start school with an abundance of knowledge and skills and a love of learning.
• The dedicated and hardworking leaders are extremely effective at reflecting on their practice. They ensure that staff are supported to the best of their ability. Management support staff to undertake training opportunities which enhance their knowledge and skills. They discuss ideas together and cascade information in regular meetings to continuously improve. For example, staff have attended forest school training and another member of staffs' ambition is to develop her skills in sign language.
• Management explain how passionate they are in ensuring staff and children's well-being is excellently supported. Staff feel that they are highly valued and confident to share ideas. They comment that they love working in the pre-school.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are quickly identified. They are individually supported by highly skilled and experienced staff. Staff work excellently with other professionals and very closely with parents to put specific plans into place. This helps to ensure that there are no gaps in children's learning due to the support they receive. Those children in receipt of funding benefit from tailored high-quality care.