Weldon Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy spending time at this welcoming and well-organised pre-school. Staff greet children warmly, and children settle quickly. They are eager to begin their day and excitedly seek out their friends. Staff build close relationships with children, and the connections with their key children are well embedded. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff use their knowledge of children's interests and development to plan learning. For example, staff build on children's current interest in construction by creating a pretend building site. Children concentrate well as they use blocks and planks to build houses.

Children spend much of their time outside. Staff plan many opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. This includes providing a specific space for children to ride bicycles and scooters safely. Staff plan water activities to enhance children's small-muscle skills. Children learn to persist with difficult tasks, such as squeezing paint into water and carefully filling pots without spilling any. Children show a positive attitude to learning. They are eager to join in the new and exciting activities on offer.

Children learn to behave well. Staff remind children of the pre-school rules, such as being kind to each other and sharing resources. The staff allow children to take risks, and children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, children build their awareness of slippery surfaces as they paint wooden planks with coloured water.

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

• The manager and staff have developed a well-rounded curriculum that covers all areas of learning. Staff provide children with a wide range of well-resourced activities that challenge to children to help them to learn and know more. For example, staff encourage children to experiment with mixing colours to create colourful potions. However, staff are less confident in extending children's learning in mathematics. For example, they do not consistently introduce mathematical concepts during activities, such as discussing weight and measure when children are exploring with water.
• Overall, staff promote children's communication and language well. They engage children in conversations during play and sing with them. This helps children to acquire the patterns and rhythm of spoken language. However, staff have not yet identified ways to further support children who speak English as an additional language to ensure that they make the best possible progress.
• Staff prepare children well for their eventual move on to school. They take older children for weekly visits to the local school to meet with their teachers and explore their classrooms. Staff promote children's independence. Children practice dressing themselves in school uniforms in the role-play area. They talk excitedly about going to school and develop a good understanding of what will be expected of them.
• Parents are extremely positive in their feedback and say that their children are happy and confident to attend the pre-school. They praise the staff for the support they offer their children and for identifying gaps in their learning. Parents state that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are particularly well supported. Staff ensure that parents know who their child's key person is and keep them fully informed about their child's time at the pre-school.
• Staff promote children's understanding of diversity beyond their immediate families. For instance, staff plan activities to celebrate festivals and cultural events with children throughout the year. They include traditions that are relevant to the children who attend the pre-school. This helps children to feel valued and helps them to learn to respect similarities and differences. Children also gain an understanding of their community as staff arrange regular visits from community police officers and take children on trips to the park and the local café.
• Children learn to manage their personal care needs and understand the importance of washing their hands before eating and after using the toilet. They become increasingly independent through the embedded daily routines, such as mealtimes. For example, children are involved in setting out tables and chairs and pouring drinks in preparation for snack time.
• The manager supports the staff's ongoing professional development. This includes providing a thorough induction for new staff and offering regular supervision meetings and opportunities for professional development. Staff comment that they feel supported by the manager and that their well-being is prioritised.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the teaching of mathematics to help children to consistently build on what they already know
• develop staff's skills in supporting children who speak English as an additional language to better support their developing vocabulary.