The Village Pre-Schools

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at this friendly and welcoming pre-school. They settle quickly in the well-resourced rooms and have developed strong relationships with staff. The time taken by staff to help children settle when they arrive helps to promote children's feelings of being safe and their well-being. Children are well behaved and are happy and confident as they explore the environment. They build friendships and play well together. Children are confident to share their thoughts and feelings with staff. For example, they share that they are happy, and staff ask what has made them happy. Staff respond to children's requests and value their choices well.

The pre-school has good partnerships with parents. Parents report on the friendly, enthusiastic staff and how they go 'above and beyond' for all children who attend. They share that their children are always eager and excited to attend.

Children develop their self-confidence as they learn to be more independent. All children gain the skills they need to support their future learning. Children receive plenty of opportunities to develop their literacy skills. Books are integral to the pre-school curriculum. Children independently select books to view at their leisure. Designated story-sharing times, snuggled up with staff, help children to foster a love of reading.

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

• Children relish the opportunity to explore new experiences, such as making a volcano outside. They squeal with delight as they guess what will happen when they mix mixtures together and the volcano erupts. The staff encourage children to explore it and talk about how it feels using age-appropriate vocabulary, such as 'erupt' and 'wet'.
• Children enjoy activities that staff plan to encourage their listening and attention skills and to develop their love of music. Children learn how to make quiet and loud sounds using musical instruments and try hard to tap out the correct number of beats.
• Children have strong independence skills. They pour their own drinks, wash and dry hands and get themselves ready to go outside. Children learn about healthy practices. They have opportunities to play outside in the fresh air, in all weathers. For instance, children attend a nearby forest school in the woods and enjoy exploring outside, which helps to support their physical development effectively. However, there are times when staff do not make use of children's interactions through their play to discuss the impact that food and exercise have on our bodies. This does not fully support children's understanding of leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Staff work closely with parents to identify and support children's learning needs. For instance, staff create precise plans to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They review children's targets regularly with professionals. This helps children to make good progress.
• Staff support children to make good progress though a broad and balanced curriculum. Through discussion with the inspector, staff demonstrate that they are familiar with the overall curriculum aims for the children. However, at times, they do not implement these aims fully. For instance, children are not always swiftly supported to build on what they already know to help them make rapid progress.
• Managers regularly consult with the staff team about how to adapt the setting and listens to their thoughts and opinions. Staff mention that they feel very valued, and that the nursery is a 'wonderful place to work'. Staff are encouraged to make use of the range of training available to them. The management team continuously reviews the staff's training needs. The staff recently attended training to help further support children to regulate their feelings and emotions.
• Care practices are effective. Staff help younger children understand the routines when managing their personal hygiene through verbal and visual support. Older children understand the need to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to implement the curriculum intent more sharply to build on what individual children already know and raise the quality of education to a higher level
• build on learning opportunities as they arise to extend children's understanding of making healthy choices.