Wordsley Pre-School & Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from a well-designed outdoor space at this pre-school. Staff carefully organise the outdoor environment to promote children's physical development. Children are inspired to explore the outdoor space with curiosity. They fill buckets with small stones and tip them into cement mixers. They watch as the stones spin and talk about them moving 'around and around'. Children enjoy the designated space to use wheeled vehicles. They ride around, following each other to different destinations. Staff encourage children who are stuck in a 'traffic jam' to find ways to keep moving. They ask children 'who should move first?'. Children identify that the car at the front should move and then they all follow. They smile at their successful resolution.

Children's emotional well-being is prioritised. Staff recognise when children are struggling to settle. They respond calmly to children and offer them cuddles. Children have time with staff to feel reassured and relaxed. Staff acknowledge the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's social development. They organise routines and activities with this in mind. Children have opportunities to play alongside each other and learn to play cooperatively with support. They are beginning to make friendships and understand how they can work together during their play.

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

• The curriculum is designed to prioritise children's personal, social and emotional development, and communication and language. Staff spend time talking to children as they play. They describe what children are doing and add to their vocabulary. For example, as children play with dinosaurs in the sand, staff name them and describe their features.
• Staff are attentive to children. They recognise when children are feeling upset or angry and label these emotions for children, reassuring them and offering comfort. However, when children struggle with their behaviour, staff do not always respond consistently to children. As a result, children do not always know what is expected of them.
• Staff plan an environment that encompasses all areas of learning. Children have opportunities to develop their number recognition and practise tracing letters. They sit with staff and create pictures of ice creams using glue and coloured balls of paper. However, there are times when children are not fully absorbed in their learning. Children lose interest in planned activities and move on to play with something else. Therefore, children do not always attain the learning intended for them.
• Staff review children's progress regularly. Key persons know what children need to learn next. They observe children during their play and assess what they have learned. They create appropriate next steps and plan activities that incorporate children's developmental stage and interests.
• Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They comment on the support that they are shown from staff, and how staff have helped their children to settle quickly. Parents express the joy that their children feel when they arrive at the pre-school and comment on the way they are greeted by staff. They receive regular communication and feel listened to if they have anything they want to discuss.
• Children learn to be independent. They are encouraged to carry out their own personal care routines and are offered support when needed. Children put their own shoes and coats on to play outdoors and help staff to tidy up at transition times.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Staff promptly identify any gaps in children's development and create individual support plans for them. Parents contribute to children's learning targets and any referrals to external agencies are made swiftly. Staff seek advice from external agencies to ensure that children make good progress.
• Leaders have addressed the actions raised at their last inspection. They have reviewed their processes for notifying Ofsted of any changes to the provision and understand their responsibilities to ensure that this happens within a specific timeframe.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support practitioners to ensure that behaviour strategies are applied consistently across the pre-school
• strengthen the planning and implementation of adult-led activities to build on what children need to learn.