Westborough Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have the most wonderful time at this inspirational pre-school. They benefit immensely from a highly ambitious, challenging and exciting curriculum. Children make incredible progress and develop a genuine love of learning. They have exceptionally positive relationships with their peers and develop strong attachments to adults who care for them. Children are highly motivated and eager to learn.

Children form close and loving bonds with their key person. This allows them to truly flourish and feel safe and secure. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, children receive enriching experiences to significantly support their emotional well-being. For example, they spend time talking to staff about the feelings of characters in stories and learn new words to describe these. As a result, children have extensive an vocabulary to skilfully express their own emotions.

Older children thoroughly enjoy learning early phonics and developing their literacy skills. They delight in sharing the photographs they have created containing items beginning with the same letter. Children talk extremely confidently about their chosen objects of wedding dresses, giant wings and windows. They compliment and praise each other's creations. Children listen intently to one another and politely take turns to speak. They are impeccably considerate and kind towards their friends.

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

• Leaders and staff have designed an ambitious curriculum that ensures every child has the best possible start to their education. They consistently evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the provision, staff practice and children's progress. As a result, leaders identify how they can strive for continuous improvement.
• Leaders ensure that staff access training that aligns with meeting the needs of the children. For example, recent training in children's brain development supports staff to gain a thorough understanding of the time it takes children to process thoughts. They use this new knowledge to enhance highly purposeful interactions with children. As a result, staff give them time to respond to questions to develop their critical thinking skills.
• Staff enthusiastically support children to have excellent opportunities to freely access books, share stories and develop a love for reading. Children are deeply absorbed and listen well as staff read exciting, familiar stories. Staff skilfully ask children questions and explore their understanding of the story and characters. Children look at books independently and take them home to share with their parents every day.
• Leaders place communication and language at the heart of the curriculum. They understand the importance of children developing a rich and varied vocabulary. They recognise the impact this has on children making the very best progress. Staff expertly teach children words that are not commonly used in everyday interactions, such as 'gruesome' and' transporting'. They set children and parents the challenge to use these words at home and in their conversations throughout the day.
• Children benefit immensely from a broad and varied range of activities. For example, they develop their core strength as they balance on wooden blocks around the room. Children count, estimate and make patterns with coloured bears as they delicately pick them up with pincers. They joyfully draw their favourite sea creatures from a book they enjoy, and take pride in describing that they have made an 'anemone'.
• Staff provide excellent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They ensure that emerging needs or gaps in learning are identified swiftly and effective help is put in place. Staff use picture cards and are highly effective in promoting sign language to support children's speech. Leaders and staff show exceptional dedication and passion to maintaining the best outcomes for all children.
• Staff arrange an incredibly inviting and charming experience for children to enjoy their snack time. The whole pre-school transforms into a calm and relaxed space. Children sit together in small groups with their key person. Staff use the opportunity to engage children in meaningful conversations and purposeful learning. One group practises their hand-to-eye coordination as they pass jugs to each other and carefully pour drinks. Another group investigates and learns detailed information about the inside of an apple core. Staff utilise every moment to deliver high-quality teaching and ensure that children are continuously learning.