Walkern Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy in this child-focused and nurturing pre-school. Staff prioritise building strong relationships with children and their families prior to them starting. This proves highly effective in helping children to swiftly settle. Children show that they feel safe and secure as they confidently interact with the inspector and introduce themselves to Billie Bear and their friends. This also helps children to flourish in their self-esteem as they speak out loud. Staff plan learning experiences that focus on what children need to learn next and their interests. This means that children are drawn to stimulating activities that support all children to make good progress.

Staff are positive role models and frequently praise children for their achievements. Therefore, children show a can-do attitude. They persevere to balance different shaped blocks on top of each other to create complex structures, when these fall, they immediately re-build them. Children show good critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Children benefit from professionals who visit the pre-school, such as paramedics and police officers. They learn about their roles and the specialist equipment they use. Children find out about the lunar new year and enjoy looking at photos of their own and other's families. This helps them to develop an understanding of the wider world, including similarities and differences. Children solve simple mathematical problems, such as subtraction through action songs.

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

• Leaders and the staff team successfully plan and implement interventions, such as nurture groups that support children to gain high levels of attention and focus. This enables them to fully engage with the ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. An overarching theme introduces children to new concepts where staff seamlessly incorporate children's individual next steps in learning.
• Children with special educational needs/and or disabilities are very well supported. Staff form strong partnerships with other professionals and use a range of strategies, such as real objects that represent an activity or routine. Any additional funding the pre-school receives is used to support children's individual needs.
• Leaders and committee members are highly reflective and invested in their roles. They routinely observe staff practice, providing guidance and support to continually enhance the quality of provision. All staff complete regular training. As a result of recent training staff have an increased knowledge of innovative methods to support children's communication and language.
• Children are keen to recall previous experiences and share their knowledge with staff. For instance, they use complex sentences to talk about the different countries they have visited. Staff introduce children to a map of the world and challenge them to predict how long it will take them to travel from Scotland to Russia. However, staff do not always encourage children to build on prior knowledge to embed and build on new knowledge and skills.
• Children's good health is well promoted. They have ample opportunities to engage in physical play, not only in the pre-school's inviting outdoor area but also within the grounds of the host school. Children thoroughly enjoy jumping in muddy puddles. They develop strong core muscles and coordination. Staff actively extend their physical skills by encouraging them to roll on their stomachs on a large inflatable. Children experience a wide range of tastes, such as noodles and fruit and vegetables that they help to grow.
• Children's behaviour is good and appropriate to their stage of development. They are beginning to build friendly relationships and understand about expectations. For example, children listen and follow staff instructions to line up and walk behind each other as they participate in an exciting Chinese dragon dancing activity outdoors. Staff use a range of strategies, such as sand timers to support children to understand when it is their turn to play with popular resources. They calmly provide children with sensitive reminders when they occasionally struggle to follow behavioural expectations. However, staff do not always help children to understand the reasons why some behaviour is not appropriate towards others.
• Relationships with parents are strong. They, along with children's extended family, are warmly welcomed to regular events that offer an insight in to their child's pre-school experience. These events are carefully scheduled to support high levels of parental engagement. Staff keep parents fully informed of their child's achievements. They also support families with changes in their lives and provide ideas to aid learning at home, such as story sacks to support children's love of books. Parents comment how they and their children have built amazing relationships with the whole staff team. They value staffs nurturing approach and talk about how much their children love to attend.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help children to recall their prior knowledge and support them to build on their existing skills to further their development
• support children to gain a better understanding of the impact their behaviour may have on others.