Rainow Pre-School

Inclusion: Expected standard

Staff assess and monitor children's progress. Alongside ongoing assessment, they also use periodic assessment tools to help formulate support plans to reduce barriers to learning. For instance, the progress check at age 2 helps staff to identify children's unique needs and facilitates targeted intervention. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, progress well from their starting points.

Teaching and activities are skilfully adapted. Staff successfully reduce or remove barriers to children's learning to enable all children to engage positively. All children's needs are met, and targeted adaptations to teaching and activities enable everyone to benefit from a developmentally and age-appropriate curriculum.

Staff seek and follow specialist advice, ensuring that extra support is well matched to children's unique needs. For instance, they have recently instigated links with local health visitors and speech and language specialists to better support children in their care. Children's uniqueness is understood and celebrated.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a clearly sequenced curriculum, so children build their skills and knowledge over time. Children master key skills and prepare well for the next stage in their learning.

Children learn in a stimulating environment. Staff pack away the toys and equipment each night. This enables them to offer fresh and new activities each day. Staff invest tremendous care and effort into creating a bright and engaging range of play experiences for children. This successfully enthuses children, who remain continually engaged and excited as they play.

The curriculum is broad and balanced. Staff make the most of what is available to them to enrich children's experiences. For instance, staff who are qualified forest school leaders optimise their expertise to teach children outdoors. This fosters children's curiosity about the world around them. Staff talk about farm animals in nearby fields, and children begin to understand the role farming has in food production. Children make expected progress in all areas of their learning, and the curriculum for knowledge of the world is a notable strength.

Staff talk, sing and read to children to extend their language and vocabulary. Typically, children make steady progress in their communication skills. Generally, staff ask thoughtful questions as children play. However, high-quality discussions are not consistently expanded upon because staff sometimes use closed questions, which reduces opportunities for conversation and discussion.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children learn about the natural world in very hands-on and practical ways. They develop empathy and emotional skills as they tend to seedlings in the nearby allotment. Children eagerly anticipate undertaking responsibilities, such as harvesting turnips and broccoli, when they are ready. Undertaking these responsibilities helps to build children's independence and also extends their appreciation of where food comes from. Children enjoy large parachute play. They raise both arms simultaneously, extending their core strength, balance and all-round physical skills.

Children benefit greatly from a very broad and interesting range of play and activities. They develop creative flair as they explore finger painting. This activity successfully supports children's writing skills as they begin to give meaning to marks. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, acquire key skills in readiness for the next stage in their learning and eventual move to school. Extending opportunities for children to engage in more discussions and conversations will further support their progress in this area of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff are extremely confident and highly successful in managing behaviour. They provide plenty of praise and encouragement, which reinforces children's positive behaviour. Staff lower themselves to children's level, maintain eye contact and offer very clear explanations, which children of different ages and abilities understand. If necessary, staff successfully distract children to redirect their learning. As a result of this consistent and strategic teaching, children's behaviour is excellent.

Staff have high expectations for what children can achieve. They gradually increase the level of difficulty incorporated into play to subtly extend learning in an enjoyable way. Children respond well and demonstrate a 'can-do' and resilient attitude. Children try hard and persevere when they are faced with difficult tasks. This extremely positive attitude is a wonderful asset that all children who attend this setting display.

Friendships between children flourish. They seek out their special friends and enjoy each other's company. Children regularly laugh and giggle, indicating they thoroughly enjoy the social element of attending pre-school. Children arrive with a spring in their step, and positive relationships greatly enhance their daily experiences. In turn, this promotes high attendance because children enjoy their time spent here.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff remain vigilant of children's safety. Children are provided with a suitable amount of freedom to explore the pre-school independently. Staff remain nearby, closely watching them and ensuring their safe supervision. Staff understand what may present a possible risk to children and take sensible steps to remove or reduce hazards. Children have access to fresh air and exercise every day, either in the on-site play area or the nearby allotment. This contributes to children's health. Children's welfare and wellbeing are typically well promoted.

Snack time is a social occasion and children join collectively, enjoying each other's company. Relationships shared between staff and children help to promote children's emotional wellbeing and happiness. Children enjoy nutritious snacks and show a positive attitude towards healthy eating. For instance, children are curious to try kiwi fruit, extending their appreciation for new and exotic foods. Children who have allergies are well catered for, and all staff are aware of individual care plans relating to dietary needs. This promotes children's welfare when eating. Children have independent access to plenty of fresh drinking water at snack time. However, at other times of the day, drinking water and cups are out of reach and not independently accessible by children. Reviewing and improving procedures relating to the arrangements for accessible drinking water would enhance children's physical wellbeing even more.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Partnerships with parents, carers and wider family members are well established. Parents and grandparents visit regularly to read to children, reinforcing a joined-up approach to children's learning. Family members and the wider community often visit the setting with a variety of pets to enrich children's experiences. The collaboration between home and the setting benefits children who enjoy complementary care and learning between home and pre-school.

Staff foster close links with nearby primary schools. Several staff personnel and committee members work at the local school. Staff use their knowledge of the school curriculum and routines to prepare children for the next stage in their learning.

Since the last inspection, a new committee has been recruited. This fresh and motivated new team are currently establishing themselves. Therefore, intended plans for improvement have not yet been successfully implemented. Despite this, leaders know what they do well and show commitment to improve.

Staff wellbeing is well promoted. Staff comment that they are incredibly happy in their roles, and this contentment is shown through their day-to-day dedication. Many of the staff have worked at the setting for decades, and this long-standing commitment to the pre-school is commendable. Children benefit from trusting relationships shared with familiar and caring staff.

Staff have completed all mandatory training, and they have many years of experience working with young children. However, staff do not currently benefit from wider training opportunities to develop and extend their skills, particularly in areas they are less confident in, such as extending children's conversational skills.