Widecombe Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have fun in this inviting pre-school, and staff warmly welcome them. Staff provide clear routines. For example, when children enter the pre-school, they place their lunch boxes in the designated box. They then find their name on the log slices, hanging them up to self-register. They cheerily wave goodbye to their parents and go with staff upstairs to hang up their coats and wash their hands for breakfast. Children find their name cards on the table and enjoy toast with their peers. Staff talk to children about the home-made bread, jams and honey. Children benefit from the social interactions and confidently talk about their own experiences.

Staff plan their curriculum well and know what they want children to learn. Younger children develop their language skills using two to three words to communicate their needs. Older children speak confidently in full sentences. Staff extend children's vocabulary and talk to them about what words mean, such as 'massive' is similar to 'big'. They also introduce new words, including 'overflowing', when children play with water and place too much in their bottles.

Children play cooperatively and staff help them to understand what is happening. For example, staff gently say children's names and make eye contact before giving them an instruction, such as 'It is tidy-up time'. Children listen and respond, working together as a team to put all the toys away.

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

• Children develop their physical skills well. They manoeuvre ride-on tractors with skill, negotiating space effectively, and reverse their toy trailer into designated spaces. Children talk about the different types of tractors and their colours, such as red or green.
• The pre-school has strong links with the local community. The public house opposite has recently raised money for the pre-school to purchase new equipment, and children visit the café opposite on special occasions for a hot chocolate. Members of the community offer various materials, such as wooden pallets, which are then used by the pre-school. For example, staff attach hooks to the pallets and hang pots and pans from them to enable children to make music using household items.
• Staff have implemented new ideas in the pre-school, such as a vegetable and sensory garden. Children learn how to grow garlic, beans, small pumpkins, soft fruit and herbs. They harvest these together and use them in various cooking and baking activities. Children develop an awareness of where food comes from and how ingredients can be used. For example, children cooked quesadillas over an open fire.
• Overall, staff focus on what children need to learn next. For instance, they encourage children to make marks in clay using various items, including hinges, bolts and metal springs. Children talk about how the hinges make small circles. Staff encourage children to manipulate the clay to help strengthen their finger and hand muscles in preparation for early writing. Staff support younger children and those new to the setting well. However, occasionally, the implementation of the curriculum for older and more confident children is not consistent to help build on what they already know and can do.
• Children spend one day a week in the 'Outdoor Classroom'. Here, children enjoy playing in the fresh air to benefit their health. They learn about nature and develop a good understanding of the world around them. Staff help them to develop an awareness of risk. For example, staff create a boundary around the firepit using large logs. They teach children about not crossing the boundary at any time to ensure their safety.
• The pre-school has formed close partnerships with parents and the nearby school. Regular information is shared to provide a consistent two-way approach to children's development. Parents comment on how much their children enjoy attending and on their continual progress. Staff invite parents and Reception teachers into the pre-school to engage with children and to be part of their educational journey.
• Children benefit from extra-curricular activities, including yoga. They enjoy dancing to Irish music and, when the music stops, staff encourage them to make a 'tree pose', standing on one leg with arms in the air. All children attempt this well with plenty of giggles. Staff help younger ones by enabling them to place one foot on top of the other to make it easier for them to balance.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• monitor and implement the curriculum more effectively for older and more confident children to build consistently on what they already know and can do.