Yew Tree Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive to a well-organised, welcoming environment where their interests and well-being are prioritised. Personal, social and emotional development is a key focus. Staff support children to settle, build friendships and understand routines. They are positive role models who support children to learn to share, take turns and develop a strong sense of belonging. For example, staff help children regulate their emotions by offering calm reassurance during moments of distress. As a result, children feel safe, secure and confident to explore and engage in learning.

Leaders and staff have developed a curriculum thoughtfully designed to prepare children for school and life. Mathematics is embedded throughout daily routines, supporting early skills in counting, number recognition and shape. Staff encourage children to compare lengths and use descriptive words such as 'heavy' and 'fast' during play. They also build on children's prior knowledge effectively. Children show positive attitudes to learning, eagerly searching for yellow objects outdoors and confidently describing the shapes as they find them. These practical experiences provide a strong foundation in early mathematics.

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

• Children demonstrate growing independence. On arrival, they know to hang up their coats and put their lunch boxes on the correct shelf. They confidently change their shoes, manage self-registration and seek out their own play choices. Staff support children to develop self-care skills through consistent modelling of hygiene practices, such as handwashing. In addition, at snack time, children serve themselves fruit and pour their own drinks. All children develop skills in preparation for their next stage of learning.
• Planned and spontaneous activities support children effectively to develop their small and large muscles. Mark making, sand play and a magnet fishing game help to strengthen small muscles and hand-eye coordination, which are essential for early writing. Children demonstrate growing confidence as staff support them to use tools such as stickers, crayons, spoons and tongs. Staff provide gentle guidance and modelling. Large muscle skills are promoted through energetic outdoor play, where children run, climb and explore the garden. Consequently, the curriculum for physical development is strong, fostering children's coordination and control.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported through tailored approaches and close partnerships with parents and external professionals. Staff use individualised strategies to meet children's specific needs, including visual supports and sensory-aware practices, helping all children to access the curriculum and develop confidence.
• Leaders offer regular support and guidance to staff. For instance, they use monthly staff meetings to provide essential updates and targeted training. They provide ongoing feedback and mentoring to ensure staff can provide positive support and raise outcomes for children. Staff benefit from a variety of training opportunities that support their continual professional development and promote consistently good practice across the pre-school. For example, staff have recently completed training on supporting mental health in the early years to enhance their knowledge and understanding of supporting young children.
• The pre-school fosters strong partnerships with parents and carers, promoting open communication and collaboration. Staff provide regular updates on children's progress and well-being, listen attentively to family concerns and involve parents in their child's learning journey. This positive engagement supports continuity of care for children.
• Staff demonstrate awareness of strategies to support children's behaviour, including the use of visual aids such as picture cards. However, these approaches and explanations are not consistently applied across the pre-school. Consequently, behaviour expectations and boundaries are not always clearly reinforced. At times, some children do not receive the consistent guidance needed to fully understand and manage their behaviour effectively.
• The quality and consistency of staff's interactions with children vary across the pre-school. Some staff use daily routines effectively to build vocabulary, engage children in conversation and introduce new words, such as 'anticipate'. However, at times, some staff do not fully consider the best possible way to pose questions to children. This limits opportunities for children to develop their communication skills and expand their vocabulary.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently manage behavioural expectations to help all children develop a clear understanding of rules, boundaries and what is expected of them
• strengthen staff interactions to ensure all children consistently receive high-quality support that promotes communication and language development.