Whitchurch On Thames Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at pre-school. They are made to feel extremely welcome by the warm, nurturing and enthusiastic staff. Staff work very effectively to help children settle and grow in confidence to spend time away from their families. Staff fully understand how challenging this has been for some children following the COVID-19 pandemic. Settling-in arrangements are exemplary; personal to each child. Staff show real empathy towards children and meet their emotional needs with warmth and understanding. Children show high levels of trust in staff to look after them.

Children behave well and are keen to learn. They benefit from a well-planned, broad and interesting curriculum. They have lots of opportunities to develop across all areas of learning. Children especially enjoy the opportunities to play and learn outside. As well as developing their physical skills, they learn to cooperate with others and to explore and play imaginatively. For example, children work together to build using large blocks. They talk to each other about what they need to do next and focus well on the task in hand.

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

• The manager and staff understand the importance of children being confident communicators. They plan their day to ensure children have plenty of opportunities to talk with staff and with each other. Staff enter into meaningful conversations with children. Children gain strong speaking and listening skills, due to the effective support offered by staff.
• Staff understand that children need to revisit learning in order to really remember what they have learned. Staff plan with this in mind. For example, they plan focused books so that children hear these stories regularly. This helps children develop a love of books, and an accurate understanding of how stories are structured.
• Staff plan activities with clear learning intent in mind. However, they do not always sharply focus on this intended learning when interacting with children at these activities. For example, staff plan activities to help children learn to express their emotions. However, they could have a sharper focus on this intended learning in their interactions with children who choose to take part. That said, staff support children effectively to practise other skills at these times. For example, they encourage children to use resources purposefully to express their creative ideas.
• Children enjoy coming together as a large group to listen to stories. Staff have identified that some children need help to focus at these times and offer timely support when needed. However, they do not make the most of these times, to teach children the skills that will help them need less-adult support to pay attention well.
• Children flourish in the positive and happy environment. Staff are excellent role models for children. They teach children to persevere and not to worry if something does not go quite to plan. This was illustrated when staff demonstrated what children needed to do for different 'Sports Day' races. Staff showed children that sometimes they too dropped balls or did not win a race, and that this was alright. As a result, children showed resilience and cheered on and supported each other.
• Children show a very positive view towards an active lifestyle. They learn to manage risks and keep themselves safe. For example, they use climbing equipment with care. They thoroughly enjoy chasing and running games and use large-wheeled toys with great enthusiasm.
• Staff plan well to help children develop into compassionate and tolerant young people. They plan carefully so that children learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others. Children are introduced to cultures beyond their own. They learn that families come in different shapes and forms. Children also have plenty of opportunities to celebrate days that are special to them.
• Partnerships with parents are a real strength of the setting. Parents are full of praise for the staff. Parents have a detailed and accurate understanding of what staff are teaching their children, and why. These very strong partnerships have a positive impact on children's well-being and learning.
• The leadership team is strong and effective. The committee is very well led. The manager feels well-supported and valued. Enhanced leadership has had a very positive impact on staff well-being, and on the overall quality of the provision.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to focus more precisely on the main-intended learning for some planned activities, to further build on what children know and can do
• enhance the use of large-group times to further embed children's skills in independently sitting, listening and engaging well at these times.