Appleton Wiske Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children show they feel happy and safe in the pre-school. Staff provide a warm, cheery welcome and children are keen to attend. Staff prepare the environment ,indoors and outdoors, with intent and purpose.

Children can make choices about where they want to learn and show good levels of concentration during activities. Staff are good role models for children and are consistently responsive to them. They know children very well and have secure bonds with them and their families.

Staff help children to make good progress and prepare them for the next stages in their learning. For instance, they help children to prepare to... start school and work hard to create links between families and schools. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have focused on supporting children's personal, social and emotional development.

They teach children to be kind and take turns as they play. Children develop good social skills and show an awareness of how to stay safe. For instance, they talk about potential risks outdoors and know about the importance of not talking to strangers.

The manager and staff team carefully consider children's experiences and provide opportunities to expand on these. For example, staff regularly take children out of the pre-school to the theatre and other facilities in the local area. This helps them to build an awareness of the world around them.

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

The manager has developed excellent relationships with staff at the local school. For example, they spend time over several weeks to prepare children to start school. Teachers attend the pre-school to get to know the children and read to them.

The manager attends meetings to discuss children's progress and any individual needs. The headteacher provided positive feedback for the pre-school and said that transitions for children are seamless and that they are emotionally well prepared.Staff provide a curriculum that is based on children's interests.

They prepare the environment to ensure that self-chosen learning is purposeful. For example, children use the dough at the table to strengthen their small-muscle skills in preparation for mark making. Staff provide an effective balance of child-led and planned activities.

However, during planned activities, their teaching is not always focused on promoting children's individual learning goals.Staff promote children's good health and independence. For example, they talk to parents about the importance of providing healthy packed lunches and encourage children to think about good oral hygiene.

Children take an active part in their own self-care and know they need to wash their hands before snack.Children benefit from plenty of fresh air and opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they thoroughly enjoy learning outdoors and practising to ride bicycles.

Staff lead yoga sessions and encourage children to think about how their body feels. Children engage and focus extremely well as they sit on the cushions in the circle. They talk about their heart and join in with the stretches modelled by staff.

Staff develop positive relationships with children and their families. They provide newsletters and diaries which include basic information about activities and events at the pre-school. Although staff keep journals of children's development, some parents do not find out about their children's ongoing learning or next steps.

This means that they cannot continue with shared learning at home.Children benefit from staff's nurturing and caring approach. They provide specific praise to children which helps them to build self-confidence and understand what they have done well.

Staff provide flexible settling-in visits for children and gather information from parents about their likes and interests. This helps staff to get to know children and their families before they start.Staff promote children's early literacy development.

Children show enjoyment as they recall familiar stories during activities and retell the main parts. They sing traditional songs during circle time and enjoy using story sacks. Staff provide support for children to write their name and develop their awareness of print.

The manager and staff team regularly reflect on how well they meet the needs of children and their families. They have recently developed and enhanced the curriculum to further promote children's mathematical development. This is now a strength in the pre-school and staff consistently use mathematical language to promote children's understanding.

The manager provides staff with effective supervision and ensures that they have access to professional development opportunities. Staff attend training which helps them to meet children's needs, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They swiftly identify children who potentially require support from other professionals and make appropriate referrals.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: focus staff's teaching during planned activities to help children make progress towards their individual learning needs nexplore further ways to inform parents about their children's learning and progress so that they can continue this at home.

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