Winsley Acorns Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive eager to learn and demonstrate high levels of emotional security. They settle swiftly into well-established routines and form strong, trusting relationships with staff. Staff provide consistent emotional support through warm, responsive interactions. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), feel safe, valued and ready to engage in learning.

The setting's ethos reflects a clear commitment to inclusion, mutual respect and high-quality early education. Staff create a rich, purposeful learning environment and plan a curriculum that reflects children's interests, experiences and backgrounds. This thoughtful approach captures children's curiosity and sustains their engagement over time.

Staff hold consistently high expectations for every child. They model respectful behaviour and positive attitudes in their daily practice, which children observe and mirror. For example, during child-led play, staff listen attentively, respond with genuine interest and thank children for their contributions. These interactions support children to become confident, articulate communicators.

Strong relationships with families underpin the setting's inclusive and nurturing ethos. Staff prioritise open, two-way communication and build meaningful partnerships with parents and carers. Families speak highly of the warm, welcoming atmosphere and trust staff to meet their children's individual needs with care and professionalism.

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

• Staff reflect thoughtfully on their practice and clearly articulate how they adapt provision to meet children's needs. They create a calm, purposeful environment, using natural and real-life resources that are well suited to each child's stage of development. Adults model new experiences effectively, supporting children's understanding. For example, they use authentic items in the role-play area to promote respect for resources and the environment.
• Children who speak English as an additional language make strong progress in their learning. Staff work closely with families and actively gather relevant information to plan clear, purposeful next steps. Through this collaborative approach, they provide timely support that helps children develop effective communication skills. Some children make such rapid progress in English that they support their peers and confidently lead small-group activities to teach their home language. These experiences showcase the children's growing confidence and pride in their achievements.
• Children develop an understanding of where food comes from through rich, hands-on experiences. They take responsibility for watering the tomatoes and cucumbers they have planted, learning the importance of caring for living things. Staff skilfully revisit prior learning, discussing the tools needed, such as trowels and soil, and naming key parts of the plant including the roots. These purposeful interactions deepen and embed children's knowledge over time.
• Children demonstrate excellent perseverance and concentration, particularly during creative activities. For example, they focus intently while painting with a variety of tools. Staff enhance these experiences by offering resources, such as cotton wool buds to support fine motor control and finger dexterity. These opportunities lay strong foundations for early writing skills as children confidently and skilfully mark make. Staff also provide freshly cut flowers for children to observe and paint, encouraging choice, creativity and close attention to detail.
• The setting has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum that reflects each child's background and individual needs. Staff use their secure knowledge of the children to plan meaningful learning experiences that build on what they already know and can do. However, occasionally, staff do not always notice when older children require more challenge to move their learning on even more. They quickly identify any gaps in learning and implement timely, targeted support to help children catch up. When needed, staff actively seek advice from external professionals to ensure each child receives the right support. As a result, all children make strong and sustained progress.
• Staff actively promote children's independence throughout daily routines. Before snack time, they remind children to wash their hands, supporting good personal hygiene habits. At the snack table, children pour their own drinks and choose between milk or water, helping them make independent choices. They select fruit from a shared tray and follow gentle reminders to take three pieces, ensuring there is enough for everyone. Staff use these moments to introduce early mathematical concepts, encouraging children to count out the correct number and guiding them when they can take one more.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus staff development on knowing when to challenge older children more, to enable them to make even greater progress.