Wray School Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop confidence and self-esteem at the rural pre-school. They settle quickly and engage in a broad range of well-considered activities. Children feel secure and their individual character is celebrated. Staff tailor their planning to children's interests and quickly adapt activities to incorporate to new fascinations and points of interest. For example, staff promote children's early mathematics skills as they discuss the capacity of a bucket catching drips of water from a roof. Children are excited to see what new experiences each day at pre-school will bring.

Children work together and use their thinking skills to solve problems. For instance, they test out if adding wood chips to a muddy woodland area will help to dry it up. Children learn to evaluate risk and understand the importance of following rules. For example, they know to stay in certain areas of their forest school when the fire is lit to keep themselves and others safe. Staff plan activities on the school field to help children to develop their large muscles and their stamina as they run around. Children learn to persevere. They practise their balance and control as they navigate a tricky obstacle course with support until they can manage it independently. Children's overall well-being is thoughtfully promoted. They learn in a holistic manner and make good progress in readiness for the next stage of their education.

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

• Staff promote children's understanding of their community and teach them how to care for the environment. For instance, staff and children make a scarecrow to enter in the annual village scarecrow festival. They learn about recycling and sustainability as they collect and re-use water in their pre-school garden and forest school. Children learn to become responsible and thoughtful citizens.
• Staff help children to learn how they are each unique and to have respect for other people's way of life. Children find out about different types of homes and about customs and celebrations from other cultures. Children begin to learn about different communities and about our diverse world.
• Staff help children to learn the early literacy skills that build a firm base for future learning. Staff promote communication skills in all planned and everyday activities. Children competently recognise letters and match them to sounds as they develop their understanding of language.
• Staff prioritise reading and seek to pass on a love of books as they read to children with enthusiasm. Staff encourage parents to borrow books from the pre-school library to share with their children at home. Staff link activities to familiar stories. As a result, children choose to look at books independently and their early language skills are well developed.
• Staff are good role models for children, demonstrating the appropriate behaviours and attitudes that they want children to mirror. However, on occasion children become boisterous, particularly between activities. Staff do not always support children on these occasions to understand how their behaviour affects others.
• Leaders find out about children's prior experiences and what they already know and can do from parents at the outset. Staff communicate well with parents and with other settings that children attend. Parents feel valued and involved in their children's education. This helps to support the consistency of children's care and learning.
• Staff identify gaps in children's learning as they monitor and assess progress effectively. Staff implement strategies to help to bridge gaps, seeking appropriate support from other professionals where necessary. This helps to ensure that all children make good progress in their learning and development.
• Leaders plan training to enhance staff's skills in areas which will benefit children. For instance, pre-school staff attend training to support children's early language skills. Staff feel valued as part of the small team and are committed to their roles and to the children in their care.
• Leaders reflect on practice and on the provision as they continually seek to enhance the experiences offered to children. Staff work together closely, and parents are consulted about their views of the pre-school. This helps to continually raise the standard of care and education for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to embed children's understanding of how their behaviour affects others, particularly during periods of transition between activities.