Tithe Barn Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive with excitement and happiness, ready for their day at this exceptional pre-school. Highly enthusiastic, caring staff greet them. Children enter an environment that has their needs and interests at the centre. Highly qualified staff are close by to facilitate children's learning. Toddlers independently create a racing game with the cars. They take turns with their friends. Staff give children an idea of creating a tunnel for the cars. Toddlers and staff stand in a line and allow the cars to go through their legs. Toddlers squeal with excitement when their car wins the race. Toddlers are highly engaged and take turns successfully with their friends.

Children are highly motivated, display exceptional behaviour and excellent attitudes to learning. Older children develop their early writing skills when they make 'bunnies'. They draw around their hand and confidently cut out their creation, before adding the 'eyes' and 'whiskers'. Highly engaging staff support children to have a go. Children focus intently on achieving. When they succeed, they beam with pride. Staff praise children for being persistent in their approach to learning.

Children show exceptionally high levels of respect and interest for those around them. Children happily hold hands with their friends as they excitedly walk to their physical education lesson. They engage intently as they practise the dances they have been learning for a performance. Staff and children jump, sing and balance together. Children thrive and flourish with the high levels of enthusiasm staff deliver as they join in. Children show tremendous levels of excitement and cooperation.

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

• The managers create an inspiring pre-school for all that attend. Staff report high levels of morale and share they receive excellent support from managers. Managers are constantly reflecting and improving on their already outstanding practice. They have strong links with outside agencies. They take every opportunity possible to strengthen and develop their exceptional pre-school.
• Highly qualified managers and staff create an ambitious, high-quality curriculum that they tailor to children's needs and interests. Managers value the input of staff, parents and children. They promote the motto 'You said, we did' and share with parents how their ideas are incorporated into their children's learning. Expert staff deliver the curriculum exceptionally well and embed this throughout the pre-school. Children develop a love for learning from a young age.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning to speak English as an additional language receive exceptional support. Extremely knowledgeable staff create ongoing activities to extend children's learning. Staff provide home visits to support a smooth transition and facilitate home learning. Managers hold regular meetings to share detailed and accurate assessments on children's learning with parents and outside agencies. This helps to ensure that children receive consistent learning opportunities in all environments. Children are happy, settled and make excellent progress.
• Highly committed and knowledgeable managers and staff have identified the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's confidence and communication skills. As a result, these areas are a strong learning focus throughout the pre-school. Children curiously observe what happens when they add water to soil. Staff skilfully introduce words like 'absorb'. Children discuss what this word means. They use a trial and error approach to find out how much water the soil can absorb before it becomes 'soaking'. Staff extend learning even further when children find carrots hidden in the soil. They begin a conversation on what carrots need to grow. 'First they need seeds', children say. They then go on to list all the conditions required for carrots to grow, including 'sunshine' and 'rain'. Children become very confident communicators and learn new vocabulary.
• The inspirational managers and staff understand the importance of early years education and embedding the foundations for life-long learning. They place a strong emphasis on exposing and providing all children with the same outstanding opportunities. They engage with their wider community, posting letters and exploring their local village. Children are provided with regular weekly access to the 'Welly Wood' forest area. They also have visits from local police officers and ride on the local bus. Children value new experiences and learn about the wider community around them.
• Partnerships with parents are outstanding. Parents report how managers and staff go 'above and beyond' to support children and families. They share the excellent opportunities the setting provides for them to access, for example, nativity plays, parent workshops and stay-and-play sessions. Parents are very well informed on their children's learning and receive regular opportunities for discussions, where necessary.