Whitley Community Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited to arrive and are greeted warmly by welcoming staff. They develop strong bonds with others. This allows them to settle into the daily routine with ease. Staff support children to play together. As they do, children develop their social skills. They learn to take turns and cooperate with their peers. All children receive the care and guidance they need. Children form secure attachments with the caring staff. They thoroughly enjoy their time at pre-school and demonstrate they feel secure in their surroundings.

Staff are positive role models. They teach children the importance of being kind and having respect for each other's feelings. Older children act as role models for younger children. This enables them to become highly engaged and motivated in their play. This helps children to behave well. Parents also notice and comment on the positive behaviour their children display.

Staff have developed an ambitious curriculum that helps to ensure that all children make good progress. Staff place a high priority on children's language development within their curriculum. For instance, staff use Makaton signs, which enhances children's communication skills further. Children become confident communicators. Staff plan the safe and stimulating outdoor play space and provide children with plenty of opportunities to be active and curious. For example, children pretend to cook meals in the mud kitchen and talk to one another about how to bake a cake.

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

• Staff know their key children well. They observe children in their play and use a range of assessment tools to help plan children's next steps in learning based on their individual interests. Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is highly effective. Staff work with parents and professionals to ensure support is tailored to meet children's individual needs. This inclusive approach helps all children make progress from their starting points.
• Generally, staff provide a language-rich environment. Children's vocabulary is enriched by back-and-forth conversation as they are introduced to new words to help broaden their vocabulary. However, there are times when staff do not give children enough time to think and respond when asking questions. This means that, on occasion, children are not supported to contribute their own thoughts and ideas effectively.
• Staff feel supported by leaders. They value discussions to help identify further support and training opportunities. This helps to enhance staff knowledge and skills further. For example, staff completed training to enhance their skills in supporting children who speak English as an additional language. As a result, children are effectively supported to develop their communication skills, and staff are highly motivated in their roles.
• Children are supported to be physically active, both indoors and outdoors. For instance, children enjoy participating in daily exercise and movement sessions. Staff talk to children about the impact of exercise on their bodies. They encourage children to recognise their increasing heartbeat. This helps children to understand the importance of staying fit.
• The curriculum for mathematics is strong. Staff use children's interests in songs and rhymes to introduce children to numbers and counting. Children learn about patterns and begin to match numbers to quantity. They develop an understanding of mathematical concepts, such as more, less, high and low. This helps children to get a good grounding in early mathematics.
• Children are provided with meaningful opportunities to learn about the community around them and the wider world. The faiths, cultures and religions of all children are explored and given value. For example, children learn about the festival of Diwali. Parents are invited into the pre-school to share their cultures and knowledge with the children. As a result, children deepen their understanding of similarities and differences.
• Staff develop a strong partnership with the local school. There is a strong relationship between the headteacher and the staff, as they lead weekly story time sessions within the pre-school. Children recognise staff and attend school events. This helps children fully prepare for a smooth transition to school.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff provide parents with frequent updates about their child's learning and progress. They speak to parents on children's arrival and collection, promoting a two-way exchange of information. Parents comment positively about the pre-school and staff. They appreciate the care and attention that staff provide and the strong relationships that their children develop with their key person and all staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff skills to consistently give children time to think and respond to questions to support children's language skills even further.