Watlington Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in this welcoming pre-school. They quickly busy themselves as they confidently engage in play. Staff ensure resources are accessible to enable children to choose for themselves. This helps to promote children's independence. Children become engrossed in exploratory play. Staff remain close by to provide support and encouragement. Staff interact well with children and offer prompts to extend their play. For example, while children make cakes in the mud kitchen, staff encourage them to search the garden for other ingredients, such as petals, shells and sticks.

Staff provide children with lots of opportunities to play and learn in the outdoor area. Children learn to take risks as they navigate the balance beams and climbing frames. They enjoy lots of physical play that develops their large motor skills, such as running and digging. Children learn to move in different ways as they enthusiastically join staff for a music walk. They dance and sing along as they play their instruments.

Children have positive attitudes to learning and engage well in activities. Staff provide a stimulating learning environment that offers children first-hand experiences. For instance, children plant, harvest and cook healthy meals from the vegetable patch. Children behave well and they understand what staff expect of them. They use good manners, such as 'please' and 'thank you', and receive praise from staff for kind behaviour.

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

• All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress. The manager has a clear vision of what she wants children to learn while at the pre-school. The manager and staff have developed a broad and balanced curriculum. They understand what they want children to learn in preparation for their move to school.
• The manager and staff support children's positive behaviour particularly well. They act as good role models and provide explanations to help children understand turn-taking. Staff share stories with children that lead to discussions about feelings and behaviour. Children receive praise and reward for acts of kindness. For example, staff have introduced a 'kindness jar' to celebrate children's acts of kindness towards others. This creates a visual reminder to help to promote positive behaviour.
• Staff support children's communication skills well. For instance, children enthusiastically join staff for group-time activities where they listen attentively to clues to identify items in a box. Staff encourage children to discuss their ideas during play. They ask thought-provoking questions and engage in meaningful conversations.
• Mealtimes are planned to support children's social interaction. Staff sit with children for lunch and engage in conversation. However, there are occasions when not all children receive quality adult interaction and opportunities to develop their social skills during mealtimes. For example, some children are sat in highchairs away from the main table. This has an impact on their ability to interact socially with their peers.
• Parents are complimentary about the pre-school. They describe staff as 'supportive' and 'approachable'. Staff regularly share advice and tips for children's home learning. For example, they offer 'top tips' that include recipe ideas for healthy meals and suggestions for activities, such as dough with tools, to support children's dexterity. Parents of different professions visit the pre-school to talk to the children. For example, dental hygienists are invited to the pre-school to chat with children about oral health.
• The manager highly values her long-standing staff team and prioritises their well-being. She ensures that staff have opportunities for training and provides regular supervision meetings. Staff confirm they feel well supported. However, the manager has not sought further ways to help all staff develop a deeper knowledge of teaching and learning.
• Those with governance of the pre-school have failed to notify Ofsted correctly of a change in committee members and to the nominated individual. However, they have taken steps to ensure the suitability of committee members. This means that there is no impact on children's safety and welfare. In addition, the manager has taken swift action to address these issues.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of mealtimes so that all children are engaged in learning during these times and have the opportunity to interact socially with their peers
• continue to build on the already good practice and seek further ways to help all staff develop first-rate teaching skills.