Pre School and After School Club at Whalton School Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the pre-school. They come in happily and get ready for their visits to the woods with enthusiasm. The manager and staff have high expectations. They are keen that children learn about their place in the community. Staff help children to understand how they can care for the environment. Three-year-old children explain to other children how wasting food is not good for the environment. Children learn about global issues, such as animals that are becoming extinct. They learn to keep themselves safe. For example, as they visit the local woods, children learn to walk safely together. They stop at the fence and wait until staff tell them it is safe to continue. Children learn to climb fences safely. They know that they need to take care and ensure their feet are securely on the fence before they climb down.

Children behave well and follow the rules and routines well. For example, when children climb the fence into the woods, they know that they must sit on the wooden benches and wait until all the children are there. They tidy up with enthusiasm at the end of the session, as soon as the manager starts to count to 10.

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

• Children learn how they can keep themselves healthy. For example, they enjoy a range of healthy snacks. Staff give clear messages to children and parents about oral health. For example, they send a cuddly toy home with resources to support children's good oral health, such as a toothbrush, open cup and a book about the dentist. In the pre-school children, learn to brush their teeth and use timers.
• The manager has a good understanding of what she wants children to learn. The curriculum is planned effectively to help children to develop the skills that they need over time. For example, children enjoy a range of activities, such as climbing and painting, to develop their shoulder, elbow and wrist muscles in preparation for early writing.
• The manager encourages children to develop their imaginations. For instance, she tells children stories and encourages them to develop this in their play. Children are very keen to make their own soups in the woods following a story about 'stone soup'. However, sometimes, staff direct children too much. For instance, they suggest they build a 'fire' and tell children to look for sticks to build this. This reduces the opportunities for children to express their thoughts and ideas. Some children find it more difficult to engage in activities because of this.
• Staff place a high priority on developing children's communication. Good questioning helps children to think about things for themselves. Staff focus on introducing new vocabulary to children. For example, they discuss terms such as
• 'liquid' and what it means. Staff refer to this later in the session to develop children's understanding further.
• The manager and staff generally work well with other professionals who may be involved in children's care. For example, they work closely with the local primary school to prepare children for the move to school. They generally gather detailed information from other nurseries children attend. However, there are a small number of occasions when staff do not gather sufficiently detailed information from other settings that children may have attended before they start at the pre school, to support children's care and learning to the highest possible level.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. For example, they work with professionals and implement any suggestions into their practice. Staff work tirelessly to find resources and sources of training or advice to help them meet children's needs. They provide additional support, where necessary, to ensure that they meet children's needs effectively.
• Staff develop a good relationship with parents. Parents generally comment that they know where their children are in their learning. They know what they have been doing. Parents like the electronic application as it gives them ideas for how they can extend children's learning at home. The manager also shares a newsletter with parents, so that parents know what their children are going to be learning next.
• The manager places a high priority on staff's professional development. She ensures that staff attend a range of training to meet the needs of the children. For example, staff have recently completed training on sign language to support children with this.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide even more opportunities for children to try things out for themselves and express their own thoughts and ideas
• improve communication with all other settings that children attend to ensure that children make the best possible progress.