Potton Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are highly motivated and eager to learn at this extremely welcoming and family-orientated pre-school. They benefit from a wide range of challenging and innovative activities and experiences, inside and outside, that staff know will interest and excite them. For example, children beam with excitement as they discuss the fruits and vegetables that they are growing in the garden. Staff support this learning, adding language as they smell various herbs. Children learn words such as 'oregano' and are supported to use descriptive language as they use their senses to explore.

Children have an abundance of opportunities to be inquisitive and problem-solve as they play. Staff skilfully ask appropriate questions to encourage children to express their opinions and feelings. For example, staff ask younger children what butterflies use to fly as they take part in a yoga session. Children imitate movement, developing their physical skills, and offer their ideas while using words such as 'antennas'.

Relationships between children and staff are superb. Staff model how to talk and act respectfully, reminding children of the rules of the setting. They encourage children to use manners and be kind to others, allowing older children time to resolve conflict independently. As a result, children demonstrate high levels of respect and tolerance towards others.

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

• The management team and staff team implement the pre-school's very strong and clear curriculum. This supports children to embed and build on their skills and knowledge across all areas of learning. The quality of teaching is consistent across the staff team and, as a result, children thrive.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children from disadvantaged backgrounds receive outstanding support and flourish in their development. The manager and staff go above and beyond to ensure that children get every possible resource available to them. For instance, staff visit other settings that children attend and conduct home visits to get a deep understanding of where children may need additional support. Various intervention strategies are in place to ensure that children make the best possible progress.
• Staff provide an abundance of opportunities for children to master skills and be confident learners. For example, all children have fantastic opportunities to take risks and problem-solve during their time at the pre-school. They create ramps using loose parts and independently decide how safe it is going to be before testing their theories.
• Mathematics is taught exceptionally well. Staff create opportunities to teach children about number and provide opportunities for children to think about number problems. For example, some children play in a tray of sand and begin to cover a member of staff's hands with sand. She encourages them to count each finger as they hide it in the sand.
• Staff commentate during activities to introduce keywords and expand children's vocabulary. For example, as children cut up various herbs, staff tell children that if they rub the herb, the scent will transfer onto their skin. They ensure that children have high exposure to print in relevant languages to support their emerging literacy skills. As a result, children are inquisitive learners and strong communicators.
• Children have excellent opportunities to discover a love of reading from a young age. Staff ensure that children have access to a range of fiction and non-fiction books, teaching children that they can gain knowledge from them. During carpet times, children are intrigued and ask questions about the author and the illustrator of the book.
• The pre-school manager has an excellent commitment to training her staff and, as a result, staff are passionate and knowledgeable. She forms strong links with neighbouring schools and early years settings to ensure that transitions are seamless and children receive the best possible support during this time.
• Communication with external professionals is exceptional. The pre-school manager liaises with the community nursery nurse and relevant local authority professionals to ensure that families receive the best possible support. Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They say their children have developed rapidly in confidence and independence.