Westbury Baptist Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and her team have high expectations for all children in their care. Staff know what they want children to learn and deliver a balanced curriculum to support their learning and development. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points. Staff plan children's learning to build on what they know and can do. Children are well prepared for their next stages of learning. Staff work effectively with parents and external professionals.

Staff create a safe and stimulating learning environment to support children's learning across all areas of the curriculum. Children show confidence and independence as they explore the activities provided either with the staff or with their friends. Staff get involved in children's play. They talk to them about what they are doing, listen carefully to their answers and put suggestions forward to extend their learning. Children feel valued. They demonstrate a sense of belonging and well-being.

Children form secure attachments with the warm and caring staff, which helps them feel safe and secure. Children comment 'This is the best day ever.' 'I like playing in here'. Children are happy, settled, confident and have high self-esteem. Children have very positive attitudes to learning. They persevere with tasks. For example, children show determination when putting their coats on and when building models using an array of resources. They keep trying until they succeed.

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

• Partnership with parents is strong. Staff know the children and their families well. To strengthen this already strong partnership and to support children's learning at home, the manager organised maths workshops for parents and children. Parents praise the staff highly for the care and education they provide for their children.
• Staff support children's language and literacy development well. Children, including those who learn English as an additional language, successfully build their vocabulary. Staff and children sing and read together. Children sing with delight and listen intently to stories. Children talk about familiar stories and describe illustrations with confidence. In preparation for school, staff encourage older children to write their names and listen to the sounds of the letters. All children are becoming good communicators and developing a love for books.
• Children are creative. They have fun drawing and making models of a vacuum cleaner and a measuring tower. Children solve problems well with help from staff. They show delight when the staff use their creations during play. Staff use the measuring tower to explore, with the children, simple mathematical concepts such as measuring and counting.
• Staff support children's personal and social development well. New children settle in quickly and become part of the group. Most children form firm friendship with their peers. They play happily together, sharing and taking turns nicely. However, on occasions, staff do not support quieter children to interact with the other children. As a result, they are missing opportunities to form friendships with their peers and extend their social skills.
• Children are learning about healthy lifestyles. They know why they need to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Staff talk to parents and children about healthy food options. Children relish the opportunity to use the safe outdoor garden daily for fresh air and exercise. Children use balancing pads, climbing frame and pedal bikes to develop their gross motor skills.
• Staff are good role models for the children. They treat them with respect and courtesy. Staff support children well in understanding and following the expected behaviour. However, at times, such as during whole group activities, staff do not always support children to manage their behaviour. Children become excited and lose focus. Therefore, children's opportunities to learn to manage their own behaviour and remain focused are not maximised.
• Leadership and management is strong. The manager and her team evaluate their practices regularly and make targeted changes to achieve good outcomes for all children. For instance, a review of their mathematics curriculum led to a well-planned and delivered math's curriculum. This has a beneficial impact on children's learning in this area of development. The manager conducts regular supervision to support staff well-being and professional development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support quieter children more to form friendships with their peers to extend their social skills
• support children during whole group activities to help them to manage their own behaviour and develop concentration.