Whickham Community Centre Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are well cared for as soon as they arrive by a welcoming and caring staff team. A well-established key-person system helps children to settle quickly and gain confidence. Staff's gentle and warm interactions with children promote their emotional security. As a result, children are very happy, well settled and secure. Staff provide firmly embedded routines to further promote children's feelings of security. When children see staff turn the egg timer, they finish off their activities and move to sit on the floor for their group activities. Staff empower children to share their 'news' and join in with counting activities. Children show respect for one another, listening carefully to what others have to say and waiting for their turn to speak. They make firm friendships, holding hands as they explore the environment. Children's trusting relationships have a positive impact on their behaviour and attitudes to learning. There is a wonderful sense of purpose around the pre-school as children become engrossed in activities that interest them. Children take turns with popular toys. Older children start to resolve their own conflicts. When children want the same wellington boots, they negotiate to wear one each and choose another pair for the other foot. Staff celebrate children's successes, giving them plenty of praise and affection when they achieve their goals. This helps to boost children's self-esteem. Children spontaneously applaud others, telling them, 'Well done', echoing language they have heard from staff.

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

• The manager and her team have created a well-sequenced curriculum that covers all seven areas of learning. They interact with the children at key moments to extend children's learning past what they already know. Staff provide a wide range of planned activities to support children's next stages of learning. However, staff do not always provide additional challenge during some activities to extend the most able children's learning.
• Children have lots of opportunities to enhance their physical development. For example, they have the space to run, climb, balance and negotiate space. This develops children's core muscle skills. Children enjoy more-focused activities, such as mark making, painting and using tweezers. This helps children to develop their coordination and muscle control for early writing.
• Staff say that they feel well supported to fulfil their roles in the pre-school. The manager and her staff are reflective practitioners who continually strive to improve their practice. Staff understand the pre-school's curriculum, which is sequenced to securely embed what children need to lean next. Staff report that they have good opportunities to undertake training. However, they do not precisely focus training on raising their teaching skills further.
• Staff promote children's communication and language well. For example, children have fun while they engage in action songs, listening and discussions during stories. Staff model language well. They repeat back what children say and ask them questions, giving ample time for them to think and respond with their ideas. Staff extend children's language as they introduce new words in context, such as 'exoskeleton', taking time to explain the meaning. Children giggle as they repeat the word and go off looking for more bugs and shells
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school and staff. They comment on how excited their children are to attend. Parents remark on the enjoyable activities their children access and how well they are developing. They comment on staff's commitment and say they are happy with the information they receive about their child's care and learning.
• Children have very good opportunities to develop their mathematical skills. Staff skilfully weave counting and number concepts into every aspect of their play. Children are able to compare quantities within various groups of resources. They are keen to measure using a range of tools. Children measure themselves with tape measures and toys with rulers and pieces of thread. They are eager to compare if they are 'as tall as their sunflowers'. Children are delighted when they discover they are still the tallest.
• All children show good levels of independence in their play and daily routines. For instance, they follow their own interests as the self-select from a broad variety of resources indoors and outdoors. Children serve themselves at breakfast, buttering their toast and pouring drinks. At snack time, children open their containers and packaging, and help their friends.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more effectively for the most able children to make the very best possible progress
• build on staff professional development opportunities to help sustain and build on good teaching further.