Oswestry School Prepcare Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children smile as they are greeted by familiar staff. This enables children to separate confidently from their parents. Staff know the children and their families well and use these partnerships to meet the individual needs of the children. Children form strong bonds with staff, particularly their key person. This helps children feel secure and supports their overall emotional well-being.

The management and staff work closely together to create a unique and varied curriculum. They engage sensitively with children as they play. Staff promote the development of key skills as children make their way through their learning journey. All children show elevated levels of engagement, from younger children who excitedly laugh while they press the keys of the keyboard, to older children painting their very own piece of art. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour, and children consistently behave well.

Staff are positive role models and never miss an opportunity to praise a child's achievements or behaviour. They treat children with kindness and are quick to respond when children may need a cuddle. Staff encourage independence from an early age. Younger children are encouraged to wash their own hands ready for lunch, and older children put on their coats when getting ready to go outside.

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

• Leaders are enthusiastic about providing quality care and education for all children. They have good oversight of the strengths of the setting and what areas they want to develop to further support children's outcomes. For example, through discussion and seeking further guidance, leaders are developing safer sleeping practices for the youngest children, further promoting children's health and well-being.
• Leaders and staff have developed an effective planning and assessment system. As a result, staff are confident and plan effectively. All children are provided with support that reflects their individual needs. Staff's practice is monitored by way of ad hoc and planned observation and supervision opportunities. Staff take part in an annual appraisal where areas for development are identified.
• Leaders work positively with outside agencies to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive individualised support at the earliest opportunity. Staff ensure children with SEND are included fully in all activities and experiences. Leaders spend additional funding effectively to further enhance their provision and provide additional support to meet individual needs.
• Leaders have embedded a robust key-person system. Staff know the children well and provide a range of learning opportunities that support individual next steps. They use varied resources to promote children's skills in all areas of the curriculum. For example, younger children use sit-on bikes and cars to scoot around, developing their large-muscle skills as well as their coordination. Indoors, older children use hand-eye coordination to skilfully hammer golf tees into a pumpkin. Staff are skilled at extending children's learning and introduce concepts such as space, position and counting.
• Staff are good role models and support children during play and mealtimes. For example, younger children are supported by staff to 'scoop' their food onto their spoon and pour their preferred choice of drink. This enables children to practise lifelong skills for their future. However, staff do not always provide older children with the same opportunity. Children are not encouraged to be independent and carry out routine tasks that they are capable of doing.
• Staff support children's positive behaviour and act as good role models. Older children receive rewards for acts of kindness, which are displayed on their 'kindness tree'. Children's behaviour is good. However, at times, staff do not organise lunchtime routines effectively, which increases children's waiting times. Some children lose focus and become distracted.
• Staff provide a language-rich environment. Staff promote communication and language through play. For example, younger children benefit from staff narrating what children are doing and modelling single words. Older children benefit from staff providing the opportunity to learn the life cycle of a pumpkin. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as 'stem', 'rind' and 'pulp', while asking open-ended questions.
• Parent partnership is strong. Leaders and staff are passionate about building meaningful relationships with families. The parents speak highly of the setting, especially the staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the organisation of mealtimes in pre-school to minimise long waiting times
• develop pre-school children's independence skills even further at mealtimes by allowing them to manage tasks they are capable of completing themselves.