Powick Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm welcome from the friendly, caring staff. The children arrive with enthusiasm, link up with their friends and set off to explore the planned activities and accessible resources.

Children make good progress in their learning from their individual starting points. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most children attain confident communication skills and staff provide extra support for children who find verbal communication more difficult.

Children preparing to move on to school are equipped with the skills they need. They are confident, motivated to learn and independent. Staff encourage children to make choices in their play and offer ideas to extend their learning. Children practise doing fastenings as they dress in school uniform, fill book bags and engage in school role play.

Children gain understanding of the world. Staff use opportunities that arise to encourage children to explore the natural world. For example, the manager uses pictorial reference cards to help children identify the type of bee they spot. Children enjoy growing plants and vegetables. They tend, pick and prepare lettuce to eat at snack time and vegetables to make soup. Staff take children to places of interest to extend their understanding of the world, for example a recent bus journey and trip to a plant centre.

Staff respond sensitively to children's needs. They provide reassuring cuddles when children show they need them. Children learn to play cooperatively and are well behaved. They learn to wait patiently to take turns, follow adults' instructions and line up ready to walk safely across the car park to the garden area.

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

• The manager and staff are all enthusiastic in their roles. They are positive role models and demonstrate good manners. They foster children's self-esteem well and encourage children to take pride in their achievements. Staff show genuine pride and excitement when children achieve. For example, when children correctly state that nine add three equals 12, staff are delighted and give high praise. Staff help children to value their uniqueness and learn about their cultures, but the planned curriculum does not include many opportunities for children to learn about people and cultures beyond their own communities.
• The manager has a good oversight of the effectiveness of the curriculum. She works closely with staff to assess children's progress and identify gaps in their learning. They instinctively challenge the most-able children. They implement effective strategies to support the learning of children with SEND. All children are included and they have many positive interactions with staff. Occasionally, staff miss opportunities to maximise the learning of the youngest children as they engage in self-chosen play.
• Children benefit from time spent outdoors. They explore the inviting outdoor play space with confidence and independence. They develop their small and large muscles as they partake in energetic play. They use wheeled toys, swing, slide, climb on large tractor tyres and trees, and chase one another. They scoop sand and tell onlookers they are creating the Malvern Hills and a mountain. Staff initiate lots of discussion about size and shapes. Children dig for treasure in the builders' construction area. They paint and chalk, showing their creativity and early writing skills. Children use binoculars and describe what they see outdoors. They spot and say the colours of passing cars. Children vote to decide where to have lunch and unanimously choose to eat outdoors.
• The committee chairperson spends a lot of time in the setting and provides valuable support to the staff team. Children like to share their news with the chairperson and involve them in their play. The chairperson, manager and staff work together to look at ways to continuously improve the provision. They undertake thorough suitability checks on new staff and have an excellent understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities.
• Staff have good opportunities to attend training. They are all trained in first aid. The manager is part way through a mathematics champion training course and successfully implements new ideas that have increased children's mathematical awareness.
• Partnerships with parents are very strong. Parents give high praise for the support they and their children receive from the staff team. They feel extremely well informed about their children's learning and appreciate opportunities to join their children in the setting. Parents like to see photos of their children's activities posted on an easy-to-use app and appreciate the ideas staff give them to extend their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make greater use of opportunities to maximise the learning of the youngest children as they engage in self-chosen play
• create more opportunities for children to gain an understanding of, and respect for, people, families and communities beyond their own.