Woodhall Farm Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle well and quickly build secure bonds with the caring staff in this nurturing pre-school. Children reflect staff's calm, positive attitudes and approach new activities confidently. For example, when learning a new game, children listen carefully to instructions, eagerly count the pieces and happily take turns. They celebrate their success and are inspired to try again. Daily interactions such as this aid children in developing the skills that underpin their learning and support them when they start school.

Staff are good role models, remaining calm, kind and fair. Children respond to this and show care and concern for one another. For instance, older children pass younger ones the correct tools when using the coloured dough. With sensitive support, children are beginning to understand their emotions. Children participate in daily opportunities, such as yoga sessions, that help them develop physical skills and build a clear understanding of healthy lifestyles. They show a good awareness of their own needs, for instance, to rest and calm down, and meet these as they sit calmly and listen to music. Diligent staff ensure that all areas are safe. Their ongoing explanations help children understand safety. For example, children sit down when using scissors and know how to carry the small chairs safely.

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

• Staff demonstrate their commitment to ensuring that they offer children the best care and opportunities they can. Staff state that they enjoy working as part of this team and feel well supported. Regular supervision enables them to review their practice and continue to develop this.
• Staff understand the purpose of the pre-school's curriculum. They know each child well and use their planning to aid them in building on what children are learning. Staff link play opportunities to children's interests, helping to capture children's attention and supporting them in making good progress. Staff make effective use of additional funding to further promote children's development.
• Robust monitoring means that any weaker areas of children's learning are quickly addressed. Staff are skilled in noting where children need additional help. They involve other professionals at the earliest opportunity. This helps to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive pertinent support.
• Staff use many ways to successfully promote children's language and communication skills. Younger children and those who speak English as an additional language use simple sign language and visual prompts to aid their early communication. Staff make good use of daily activities to introduce new language. Specific activities, such as the 'discussion basket', support children in constructing sentences.
• Children enjoy accessing books and have established firm favourites. They join in with the words when staff read to them. They become so engrossed that they act out the characters, for example, becoming the 'tall giraffe' or the 'grumpy camel'.
• Staff interact well with children and make good decisions about when to extend children's learning further. For example, children participating in an activity with drumsticks are engaged and staff offer them further challenge. Children enjoy tapping out their names and beating the sticks up high and down low, carefully following instructions.
• Children have meaningful opportunities that support them in understanding differences and the wider world. For example, they share information about family festivals, creating artwork to illustrate these. They participate in national celebrations and fundraising events, helping them to appreciate the experiences of others.
• Staff understand children's needs and usually meet these well within the daily routines. However, on occasion, staff adhere more rigidly to the routines, such as at times of transition between activities. During these times, children who are engrossed in their play are interrupted and cannot continue this and follow up their ideas and learning.
• Parents praise staff and highlight their good communication. Staff aid parents in understanding and building on their children's learning. For example, stay-and-play sessions help parents to understand how the play opportunities support their children's learning. However, staff do not work as well as possible with other settings that children attend in order to fully promote their development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review daily routines, such as at times of transition, so that children are able to remain engaged and have opportunities to continue their play when appropriate
• extend the work with other settings that children attend.