Morda Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in the care of nurturing staff within this calm and welcoming setting. The pre-school's outstanding curriculum emphasises the importance of a child's self-worth, agency and innate curiosity, promoting learning through exploration, discovery and play. It views children as capable individuals with strong potential for development, learning best through first-hand experiences and collaborative interactions. Children develop confidence in their ability and become enthusiastic learners. They show exceptionally positive attitudes to learning. Skilled staff understand the importance of allowing children time to explore and discover, and their interactions are subtle and meaningful. The high-quality teaching across the pre-school ensures that all children make excellent progress.

Staff promote children's behaviour remarkably well. They are consistent and sensitive as they support children to make positive behaviour choices. This helps children to understand the impact of their behaviour on others. Children's behaviour is exemplary. Both indoors and outdoors, children show kindness to staff and their friends. For example, while outdoors, children collect their friend's water bottle and pass it to them to cool down after running. Indoors, children share and take turns from an early age. For example, young children learn to take turns when choosing nursery rhymes from the special bag and squeal with delight when it is a familiar song.

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

• The manager's passion for providing children with the best possible start in life is infectious and permeates throughout the pre-school. The manager ensures that staff at all levels receive personalised training opportunities to enable them all to build on their knowledge and skills. Leaders and staff have an ongoing commitment to reviewing the quality of the pre-school provision.
• Staff have an exceptional understanding of the curriculum. They observe and assess continuously to see what children know and what they need to learn next. In-the-moment planning is used to capture children's interests and questions. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They respond sensitively to children, offering support, particularly during transitions. Staff promote kindness in all interactions, creating a supportive and empathetic atmosphere.
• The voice of the child can be clearly heard throughout this pre-school. Children's views are highly valued and respected. Staff show that they value children's voices in matters affecting them, such as nappy changing and when the routine needs to change. Children learn about democracy and living in modern Britain. For example, they conduct a vote to decide whether to sing songs at group time or share a story.
• Staff create fantastic opportunities for the children to build on their fine motor skills. For example, older children can use hammers, screwdrivers and wire cutters indoors and outdoors, understanding and adhering to safety measures. This supports risk taking and boosts their confidence. The children benefit from vast outdoor play areas and forest school. These experiences enhance children's learning, resilience and curiosity. This provides essential opportunities to explore and encourage risk taking within a safe environment, as well as promoting high-quality opportunities for large-scale physical activities.
• All staff have an in-depth knowledge of each child's level of development and what they need to learn next. Staff make the very most of their interactions with children to challenge and extend learning consistently. For example, children select a range of metallic resources and attach them to the hanging honeycomb wire structure. Children stand and stretch their arms to skilfully attach their metal hooks, wires, metallic balls and wire creations to the structure. Children use their imagination to create abstract art with deep concentration.
• Children investigate natural resources with curiosity and interest and engage in pretend play with their peers. For example, children work together cooperatively and use what they have already learned to create complex constructions with wooden planks. Children transport water and other materials around the garden. They show persistence as they select a range of soft and hard tools to remove bubbles from the metal jugs.
• Staff expertly model and teach new vocabulary when sharing books, rhymes and songs with children throughout the day. Staff create an environment that is rich in language and promotes children's love of songs and stories wonderfully. Children become absorbed in animated storytelling, where staff use expressive voices and encourage children to recall previous learning. Consequently, children use an extensive range of vocabulary and language structures, and they are confident communicators.
• Parents speak enthusiastically about the pre-school and the incredible range of experiences their children enjoy. Staff actively encourage parents to participate in the pre-school by inviting them to attend events and accompany them on trips. For example, parents attended the pre-school art gallery where children displayed their artwork with much pride. Parents feel very involved in their children's learning.
• Children enjoy mealtimes where staff ensure they are relaxed and sociable experiences. Children's independence is evident in all the age groups through toileting, handwashing, feeding themselves, pouring their own drinks and helping to tidy away resources throughout the day. Staff seize every opportunity to promote children's understanding of leading a healthy lifestyle. For example, staff teach children about healthy foods, the effects on their bodies and where foods come from. Children understand why they need to wash their hands, wear a sun hat and drink water regularly after exercise and when it is warm weather.
• Children enjoy routine trips and exciting outings that staff take them on. Staff make the most of local spaces and public transport, helping to trigger further learning. Outings such as bus trips and visits to the local parks and theatre enrich children's experiences, and they learn about the community in which they live.