Whizz Kids Pre-School (Hockley)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly greeted by staff and run in excitedly at the start of the session. They have many opportunities to play and explore, indoors and outside, in a well-organised environment. Children enjoy regular walks in the nearby woods. They challenge themselves on rope bridges, climb trees and take part in craft activities with natural materials. In the pre-school, staff encourage children to recall their real-life experiences, when they create artwork with the objects they have collected on their trips. Children learn about the world around them and how they can care for others. For instance, they hosted a guide dog and its owner, took part in a recycling project and entertained residents at a local care home.

The youngest children begin to understand how to keep their environment tidy. They proudly show the inspector they know where to put the toys away. Children eagerly sweep up chalk marks on the ground. Staff encourage them to solve problems and ask them how they think they can do this better. Children enthusiastically suggest using water and then decide which container is the best to collect it. Staff read expressively and support children's early literacy skills. Children have lots of fun shouting, 'Boo' when they see the word in a book. Staff read words out loud as they write them down. This promotes children's developing understanding that marks have meaning.

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

• The joint owners/managers form a strong leadership team. They work alongside staff in both rooms. This allows managers to support staff and identify training needs, if necessary. All staff recognise the positive impact of their training. For example, they say they are now more aware of how to promote children's communication skills.
• Key persons gather information from parents when children first start. The use their own observations to get to know the children and identify any gaps in their learning and development. Staff regularly review children's progress and provide activities that help children to do and learn more.
• Staff support younger children to gain the skills and knowledge they need in preparation for moving up to the next room. This includes helping them to be curious and enthusiastic learners. Older children have opportunities to build on these skills further. For example, they practise their self-help skills when they butter their own crackers and wash up after snack.
• Children demonstrate a 'can-do' attitude and are keen to try out their own ideas. For example, the youngest children wave a chiffon scarf and pretend it is a wiper on a bus. Older children create a structure from planks and tyres and work out how to make it firm enough for them to climb and balance.
• Staff introduce basic mathematics within the routine. For example, children join in counting how many are at the snack table and decide how many plastic insects they still need to find on a bug hunt. However, staff do not always consider how to build further on what children already know, to ensure that mathematics is fully embedded in the curriculum.
• Staff plan a range of activities to develop children's love and understanding of nature and the changing seasons. As well as the 'woodland walks', children actively care for crops in their growing area. They show their increasing knowledge when they clearly explain the differences between real and artificial plants.
• Staff use visual aids to support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language, to understand the routine and feel included in all aspects of the setting. Staff meet with teachers from schools children are due to attend, to share information and help manage a smooth transition.
• Children approach the caring staff for cuddles and comfort. They are confident to verbalise how they feel and explain why they are sad. There are calm areas in the rooms, where children can be comfortable and spend quiet time if they wish.
• There are many opportunities for parents to be involved in the setting and their children's learning. For example, they attend play sessions and accompany the children on nature trips. Parents appreciate that their children have many opportunities to be outdoors and say staff are 'amazing'. They praise the good levels of communication from their child's key person and say their children are more confident since being at the pre-school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to enhance their teaching of mathematics to build on children's existing knowledge and abilities more widely during activities.