Pewsham Preschool Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Managers and staff have high expectations for children's capabilities. Children benefit from the well thought out and targeted curriculum that staff form based on each child's learning needs and interests. Staff provide children with a rich set of experiences and offer attentive and timely interactions as children play. Children are inspired, challenged, and develop strong skills. They readily test out their ideas and develop their coordination as they investigate the sensory and creative opportunities available. They carefully place gold tape on their designs and make marks with pens at the craft table. They scoop soil into pots and independently plant seeds. They excitedly combine items, selecting fresh herbs and smelling these as they add them to their perfumed water. All children show very positive attitudes to new experiences and developing their skills, this includes two-year-olds in receipt of additional funding.

Children are happy in the pre-school and form strong relationships with the kind and caring staff. New children are very sensitively supported, staff link closely to their interests to help them settle. Children learn to manage their emotions, channel their energy, and share toys and resources. They are given lots of additional assistance if they struggle with expectations or boundaries, to help them learn to respect other's space and needs.

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

• The joint managers work closely with the committee to outline clear aims and actions for their ongoing improvements. They beneficially gain the views of staff, parents, and children, to identify ways to develop the provision further.
• Partnerships with parents is a key strength of this pre-school's practice. Managers and staff work tirelessly to get children and families the help they need. They provide a wealth of information and support to help parents navigate each stage of their child's journey. Parents say the staff are so friendly and welcoming and provide a brilliant environment. They are also very grateful for the resources that staff share with them, to help them support children's learning at home.
• Key persons outline clear plans to help gaps in children's communication to close. During children's play, staff get down to children's level and speak clearly to them, modelling words and giving children time to think and respond. Children's speech progresses well, this includes children who speak more than one language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Children develop their mathematics skills very effectively. They independently explore shape and discuss the cross they have made with two sticks at the craft table. Staff encourage children to discuss concepts such as capacity as they scoop and pour items into pots. Older children count seeds and staff challenge them to do simple addition.
• Staff use focused adult-led activities to promote children's skills. Children build their communication effectively in small-group activities. They listen attentively at story time and develop their physical coordination in the 'wake and shake' session at the beginning of the day. However, during some adult-led activities staff do not fully think through their support and explanations. Some children are unsure of parts of the activity and what to do and their confidence and involvement are not as high as they could be.
• Children learn to do things for themselves, and staff embed support for this into their daily routines. Children confidently serve themselves a snack and pour their drinks. Staff offer reminders and encouragement to help progress children's skills. Children learn use a tissue to wipe their nose and they independently use the toilet.
• Staff deploy themselves thoughtfully. They are vigilant in their security procedures and supervision of the children, to ensure children receive good care and are kept safe. Staff adapt their support appropriately, for example, when the weather changes. They all work together to help children get their sun cream and hats on.
• The managers and key persons work with many professionals involved with children, to get children the additional help they need and prepare them for their move on to school. They link with most of the other settings children attend, to forge a consistent approach to the support children receive. However, they do not directly liaise with all of them and, therefore, do not get a full picture of some of the children's needs, to inform their planning.
• The longstanding team work well together, morale is high. The managers and staff have regular meetings to share ideas and plans. Staff are supported to undertake qualifications or attend relevant useful training, to increase their skills. They all show dedication to providing the best they can for families and facilitating strong outcomes for the children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the support for children's understanding during adult-led activities and extend their confidence and involvement as much as possible
• strengthen the links with other settings children attend, getting a full picture of all the children's needs to inform future planning.