West Dean Pre-School Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and settle quickly at pre-school. Staff greet them warmly and introduce exciting songs and rhymes. Children join in with delight. They laugh and sing together. Staff encourage children to learn new actions and model them consistently. Children feel safe and secure with the friendly and attentive staff. They know how to seek support if they simply need a cuddle for reassurance.

The manager has a clear curriculum in place and knows what she wants children to learn. She plans carefully to ensure children have a rich set of experiences that teach them about the world they live in. Staff take children on interesting trips. They visit destinations such as local farms and milking parlours. Children have meaningful learning opportunities that extend their knowledge and understanding.

Staff involve children in exciting imaginative play. They build on children's previous experiences and encourage them to explore creatively. For example, staff provide children with a broad range of resources to build a puppet theatre. Children gladly begin matching colours and adding materials to their construction. After completing this task, children make up stories for their friends to watch. Children have highly positive attitudes to learning. They remain engaged in activities for long periods.

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

• Staff know how to build on young children's communication skills. They talk with children about what they have been doing with their families. Staff introduce younger children to new language, such as 'telescope'. Children joyfully play pretend captains together. Children develop strong conversation skills.
• Children show a keen interest in books and printed material. Staff utilise frequent opportunities to sit and read with children in small groups. Staff read to children with enthusiasm and ask them questions about what is happening. This develops children's early literacy skills and supports them to develop a love of reading.
• Staff support children to develop excellent physical skills. They set-up interesting obstacle courses, with the intention of providing children with new language that supports their understanding of what they are doing. Children climb, jump and balance with joy.
• Overall, children behave well. They have high levels of respect for one another and follow a 'Pre-school Agreement' created by staff and children together. However, at times, staff do not remind children of important expectations. For example, when children get lots of toys out, they are not reminded to tidy them away. This does not consistently build on children's understanding of the rules and expectations of their behaviour.
• Staff discuss how they have recently accessed training to enhance their implementation of maths. This is noticeable throughout their practice. They work closely with children to build on their mathematics skills. For example, when children offer a play dough birthday cake to their friend, they remove a candle to make sure there is only three. Staff carefully recap this learning and provide children with the mathematical language for their calculation. Children develop a strong understanding of numbers and counting.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They know how to access information about their child's activities. However, staff do not consistently ensure that parents receive precise information about the next steps in their child's learning. This means parents cannot effectively build on this learning at home.
• Children gain meaningful knowledge from their activities. When they draw together on the chalk board, staff create pictures of a sunshine, clouds and a rainbow. They encourage young children to think for themselves and consider what happens when the sun is out and it rains. Children share their knowledge and talk about seeing a rainbow in the sky.
• The manager has a clear and ambitious vision for the pre-school. She provides staff with meaningful supervision sessions. The manager has plans in place to support and mentor staff. This is to ensure that professional development is ongoing and consistent. Staff engage with training and confidently strengthen their practice.
• Staff carry out children's care routines sensitively and respectfully. They ask children if they can change their nappy and happily chat or sing with them throughout. Children's emotional security is supported well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with consistent messages that support their understanding of behaviour expectations
• deliver clear information to parents about the next steps in children's learning.