White Tree Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children enter the setting exceptionally well, they arrive with smiles and laughter. Children run excitedly to the enriching environment, provided with thought-provoking and meaningful activities. There is a clear strongly embedded curriculum that is engaging and focused on each individual child. Children show exceptional progress from their starting points provided by parents. Information is gathered from child's voice and parent about what they like and would like to learn. For example, children play with play dough in the kitchen corner. Staff engage at their level interacting in their role-play scenarios, they draw other children into the play to strengthen social situation. Staff and child interactions are heart-warming to watch. They provide an inclusive approach engaging all children, building up their self-confidence within social situations.

Staff place a significant focus on the setting's routine and promoting independence. Children are eager to take on responsibility at snack time, they hand out cups and plates to their peers. Children show a sense of achievement, independently pouring their own drinks and spreading their own butter on the snacks. This empowers children to take responsibility for their own actions, displaying positive attitudes to learning. Staff brilliantly extend children's knowledge and satisfaction. Children find their belongings and self-register before heading outside; they successfully find their names, marking them off with a pencil. Children excitedly share feelings of accomplishment commenting, 'I did it'.

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

• The management and staff team lead the curriculum with exceptional passion and knowledge. Staff plan activities that meet the individual needs of the child. All children show outstanding levels of focus and self-motivation to join in. Staff are confident to allow time for children to discover and ask questions. They provide excellent open-ended questions to help them think critically. For example, children engage in a science experiment involving water, lemonade, and raisins. They excitedly identify bubbles in the lemonade causing the raisins to float. They comment 'mine is bobbing up and up, up, and down up and down, they look like they're dancing'.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the best possible outcomes, reducing the gaps in learning. Staff liaise with parents, professionals and the local authority. Children who are learning to speak English as an additional language make exceptional progress. Staff value home experiences. They work together with parents to learn key words in home languages to communicate with them. The setting provides a highly inclusive approach.
• Staff provide outstanding opportunities for children to make links with the community. Staff connect with local schools, providing children with pictures, school uniforms and welcoming teachers into the setting. Children take regular visits to the local residential home. Staff organise local trips following children's current interests, for example a visit to the local dentist. They also offer a baby- and toddler group, which they open to the local community.
• Partnership with parents is phenomenal. Parents form close and respectful relationships with the team, they offer the highest praise for the setting. Parents' comment it is 'incredibly personal'. Staff are described as 'attentive, kind, and focused'. Parents play an active role in their children's learning and development.
• Staff manage children's behaviour exceptionally well. Children recognise when others may need help. For example, when a child spills a drink, other children offer to re-pour water into the cup and help clear up. Staff use visual cards alongside speech to explain the rules of the setting. For example, they use a picture of ears to illustrate 'good listening'. Staff provide a visual timetable to show children now and next activities. This helps children to transition between activities calmly and smoothly.
• The management team are highly enthusiastic about staff professional development. Staff speak extremely positively of the training opportunities on offer, each being tailored to the individual. They receive regular communication, supervisions, and peer-on-peer observations. Leaders strive to deliver high-quality care and education, reflecting and evaluating practice. For example, they have helped staff to create cosy spaces in all areas of setting, including book bags, sensory items and soft toys, further enhancing the learning environment.