Whittington Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate a sense of belonging in this warm and welcoming setting. Staff are considerate and sensitive of children's feelings, and they place a high level of importance on supporting children's emotional well-being. For example, staff are considerate that pre-school children have a range of feelings as they prepare to transition to school. Staff use stories so children learn about their emotions through colours. For example, children confidently share that they feel 'yellow' because they are happy, or 'black' because they feel scared. Warm and trusting relationships help children to feel safe and secure, enabling them to share and explore their emotions.

The setting provides a varied and stimulating learning environment. Staff carefully consider the needs and interests of the children that attend. Learning opportunities enhance children's curiosity and ignite their imagination. Staff support imaginative play wonderfully. For example, during water play, toddlers spot a shark and decide they need to hide. Staff encourage them to consider what they would need to make their hiding place a safe one. Children hand over imaginary money to buy an imaginary key to lock the imaginary door in their imaginary room. Through imaginative play, children develop a wide range of essential skills.

Staff have a consistent approach to behaviour management. From a very early age, they support children to think about the consequences of their behaviours. Children are encouraged to make positive decisions. As a result, behaviour throughout the setting is very good.

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

• The setting has a strong ethos that is understood and valued by leaders and staff. The ethos is deeply rooted in the setting's curriculum and aims to build children's confidence, inspire creativity and engage their curiosity. Staff pay close attention to the physical learning environment. They aim to maintain a calm and relaxing atmosphere where children have access to a varied range of open-ended resources. This allows children to guide their own play.
• Overall, staff support children's communication and language development well. Children benefit from a language-rich environment that supports children to broaden their vocabulary. There are times, however, where staff working with the youngest children ask questions in quick succession and do not give them time to process their thoughts and answer.
• Children enjoy many opportunities to practise their physical skills. Toddlers run, crawl, climb and balance on the outdoor equipment. Pre-school children demonstrate high levels of confidence as they explore their woodland area. Children are encouraged to take risks and have a go. Staff are always close by to offer help if needed. This fosters a sense of resilience in children.
• The positive impact of stories and books within the setting is evident. Babies turn the pages of books with care. Pre-school children read to their friends, recalling parts of the story they know. Books are accessible throughout the setting. Children read at tables, in tents and even on the woodland floor. Children show a love of early literacy.
• Staff know the children they care for very well. They make use of observation and assessment to determine what children know and can do. Staff confidently discuss how they plan a range of positive and engaging learning activities to support their learning. However, there are inconsistencies across the setting with regard to the opportunities that staff provide to support children to make progress towards their targets.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported to make good progress. Staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals to implement targeted strategies to support children's development. The setting has good links with external professional agencies to ensure that children receive timely support.
• Partnerships with parents are very good. Parents speak very highly of this setting. They describe it as caring, compassionate and family orientated. They talk positively about the 'devoted' staff that care for their children. They value the termly reports and regular updates regarding their children's development. They are supported to extend learning into the home environment. They feel that staff know their children extremely well.
• Leaders have a positive approach to self-evaluation. They are constantly reviewing their provision and physical environment to ensure they meet the needs of children. Leaders observe staff practice and provide targeted professional development opportunities to further enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff report high levels of well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff working with the youngest children to develop children's communication skills even further by giving them time to process and answer questions
• ensure all staff support children to consistently work towards their identified development targets to enable them to make rapid progress.