Enchanted Wood Pre-school

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

The management and staff team are passionate about providing high-quality, inclusive care and education for all.

Staff successfully provide opportunities for children that they may not experience at home. For example, children relish taking part in forest school sessions, as they enthusiastically build their own tree from sticks to decorate for Christmas.Children develop strong bonds with the staff, and demonstrate extremely positive attitudes and a thirst for learning.

They settle in very well and thrive in this nurturing, caring and welcoming environment. Children who speak English as an additional language an...d those with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from the superb initiatives in place. Staff are extremely skilled in making every moment a teachable moment.

For instance, staff spontaneously ask children what makes the leaves fall. Children enthusiastically explain their understanding that because it is winter, leaves are still falling from autumn. Staff provide an excellent range of very inspiring activities, including opportunities for child-led play.

Children enjoy this approach to learning and remain highly engaged in tasks. Staff are very clear about what children need to learn in order to move them forward in their development. Staff use observations skilfully to ensure that children are challenged in their learning.

All children make excellent progress.

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

The managers and staff have very high expectations of all children. Staff closely monitor children's progress and follow their emerging interests.

Staff use this information to deliver a highly effective curriculum and a learning environment where children flourish. Staff plan for each individual child's learning needs, and help them to make the best possible progress.Staff place high importance on promoting children's communication skills.

Children are extremely motivated, and staff skilfully engage them by using natural resources to promote language and expression. Staff have recently attended a 'sing and sign' training session, and use this knowledge to support children to understand what is happening around them. This supports children's well-being and self-esteem.

Staff help children to develop excellent control and coordination, and to gain confidence in their own abilities. For instance, children designed their own obstacle course with enthusiasm, and balanced carefully on the different objects.Managers and staff work together seamlessly.

Daily evaluation of practice, purposeful supervisions and highly focused professional development are skilfully aimed at enriching staff's expert knowledge and practice. Staff expertly monitor children's level of involvement in activities to inform their evaluation of the setting. Managers and staff work hard to maintain their outstanding practice.

Children behave extremely well and, if they get stressed, staff remind them of their yoga sessions and breathing techniques. This helps them to explore their emotions. During football sessions, children are motivated and enthusiastically work together as a team.

Skilled staff use their expert knowledge of each child to extend learning opportunities. For example, when children make soup with mud and leaves in the mud kitchen, staff open conversations about different soups they would enjoy and are healthy.Parents are expertly involved in all aspects of their children's learning and development.

Innovative stay-and-play sessions, such as den building, help children and parents to gain a sense of what nursery life is like. Parents comment positively about the range of experiences, indoors and outdoors, that children have at the setting.Children make friends easily and develop a very strong sense of belonging.

They thoroughly enjoy choosing what to play with. Children are very independent and learn to put on their own hats, coats and boots ready for the forest school sessions.Staff extend children's play ideas.

For example, they follow children's interests in the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' and readily support children to build a cave for the bear to hide in.Staff teach children excellent early literacy skills in innovative and highly effective ways. For instance, children immerse themselves in storytelling by acting out familiar stories, using a range of resources as props.

Staff maximise opportunities to develop children's mathematical skills and make learning highly enjoyable. For example, children are excited to compare the height of sticks, explaining to staff which is taller.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Children's safety is a priority and deeply embedded into daily practice. Staff are extremely vigilant and ensure that the environment is safe and secure. They have an extremely secure understanding of their role in safeguarding children.

They know what to do should they be worried about the welfare or safety of a child. Staff and children regularly risk assess the forest school sessions, and children clearly understand the rules during the session through the song they sing. The managers carry out thorough background checks on all staff as part of the recruitment process.

Also at this postcode