Nettlestead & Wateringbury Preschool & Out of school Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they feel incredibly happy and safe. The pre-school staff know the children well and greet them with open arms on their arrival. Children show high levels of maturity as they separate from their parents and carers with ease. They settle down quickly in the well-planned environment, which meets their needs and interests. For instance, children show maturity as they experiment with making their own play dough, needing little assistance from staff. They show high levels of involvement, experimenting and exploring quantities.

Children show a natural desire to want to know more. For example, during a planting activity they asked relevant questions about the roots and their purpose. Skilled staff are on hand to support children's learning, explaining about how plants use their roots to 'absorb' water to grow. Children show that they understand what the staff are saying as they later discuss the need to 'water the roots so they grow', finding watering cans and old pots to collect water to do this.

Children help each other and are kind and considerate. The older children guide the learning of the younger children with compassion. For instance, when mark making, children approach their friends and ask them to 'draw dots' that they could then trace over. The children supported this and stayed to help their friends hold their pencil correctly.

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

• Children's speech and language develops well. Staff provide a language-rich environment by regularly reading with the children and singing songs. For example, children eagerly take books to staff, who settle down and immerse themselves in the book with the children. This has been further promoted, such as by the new 'lending library'. Children show pride in returning their books to pre-school. They talk to their key person about the story and the characters before choosing a new book to take home.
• The committee and managers have strong procedures in place to support staff. For example, they have regular one-to-one meetings to discuss staff well-being and any training needs. Managers also use regular team meetings to revisit the curriculum intent. For example, staff discuss the changing needs of the children, and how the environment can be altered to accommodate this.
• Parents and carers speak incredibly highly of the pre-school. They comment how friendly and approachable staff are. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities feel well supported and informed of their children's progress. For example, the new online journals are proving to be a successful way of communicating with parents. Parents comment on how quick it is to see what their children have been doing, and what they can do at home to further support their development.
• Children are becoming increasingly independent. For instance, they learn to blow their noses and skilfully put on their coats when wanting to play outside. However, on occasion, staff are not fully effective at helping children to develop their skills and knowledge to manage risks and challenges in their play. For example, staff quickly clean up water that children spill and do not fully consider how to teach them to do this and help them understand why this is important.
• Children learn about the wider community through trips out and visitors that are invited to the setting. For instance, the local police came to speak to the children about traffic awareness and stranger danger. Trips out in the village provide further opportunities for children to visit features of their local environment. For example, children take trips to the local library to collect books, watch trains at the local train station and take picnics to enjoy by the local stream. This helps children begin to learn about how where they live is unique.
• Children generally behave well. However, the staff are not consistent in their approach to unwanted behaviour. For example, when children do not follow the rules, staff are quick to point this out. However, they do not reinforce their expectations, so children are quick to repeat this behaviour.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide a consistent approach to behaviour management to fully support all children to understand behaviour expectations
• support staff understanding of how to teach children the skills to recognise and manage possible risks and challenges in their play.