Wesley Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel safe and secure and confidently explore the variety of spaces at this pre-school. They have opportunities to play inside and outside, including at the forest school. Staff support children to make independent choices and take appropriate risks. For example, children choose to plant seeds and trees, play with water and play dough or explore sensory trays.

The setting has high expectations and staff support children well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress in their learning and development. This helps to prepare children with the necessary skills and knowledge for later learning.

The setting has made some changes as result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic to ensure children's safety. For instance, children no longer participate in cutting fruit for everyone to share at snack time to avoid cross-contamination. However, staff continue to provide opportunities for children to use appropriate knives to cut vegetables as part of the activities offered to ensure they are gaining these skills.

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

• Children's behaviour is exemplary as a result of clear and consistent expectations reinforced by staff in a kind and respectful way. Children are caring towards one another; for instance, offering to share toys and looking after their friends when they fall over.
• Staff provide children with a wide range of opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, children enjoy digging, peeling vegetables, transporting water in large containers, making pretend salads and balancing on beams. They are physically active and show good levels of control and coordination.
• Staff encourage children to be independent in their self-help skills and, as a result, children are learning rapidly how to take care of themselves. For example, they find their own belongings, return plates and dishes after eating, make good progress in toilet training and know when to wash their hands.
• Leaders have good intentions to support children's language development. Children are able to recall what happens in stories and they are learning to recognise the initial letters of their names. However, staff are not clear about what words they want children to know and understand, and therefore miss opportunities to extend their vocabulary.
• Parents speak highly of the setting and staff keep them up to date with their children's progress. Parents understand the skills their children are learning and are particularly happy with the forest school provision on offer.
• Staff support children to be healthy and make good choices about their diet. They encourage children to select the healthier options in their lunch boxes and teach them where their food comes from, for example through planting seeds to grow their own vegetables. Children reflect an understanding of what food is good for them in their play, for instance when making 'lovely healthy salad'. Staff guide parents on what constitutes a healthy lunch and provide children with fruit and vegetables at snack time.
• Children have opportunities to learn about their own community. For instance, they point out local features on the walk back from forest school and learn about Cornish celebrations. However, there are less opportunities for children to learn about other cultures different to their own and to gain a wider understanding of the diverse country that they live in.
• Staff provide good opportunities for children to develop their understanding of mathematical concepts. Children learn to count pebbles and pieces of fruit, identify shapes, use scales and estimate how high plants will grow.
• Leaders value the staff at the setting and the important work they do with the children. They consider staff well-being at all times.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further support the development of children's language skills and help them to learn and understand new vocabulary
• provide opportunities for children to learn about people, families and communities beyond their own to broaden their understanding of diversity.