Mini V Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children flourish in this exciting and inspiring pre-school.

The curriculum is planned meticulously and is precisely sequenced to build on children's prior skills and capabilities. Staff have extremely high expectations for children. They focus on what individual children need to learn next.

For example, the current theme of 'The Three Little Pigs' is based on children's initial interest in the traditional tale. This story is interwoven throughout all activities. Children's curiosity is ignited as they spot strategically placed wolf paw prints on arrival.

Older girls carefully use pens to write the simp...le words 'pig' and 'pen'. They use their phonetic knowledge to write words in ways that match the spoken sounds. Younger children develop small finger muscles and manipulate pink-coloured dough to make pig sculptures.

This helps to strengthen their grip ready for early writing. Children coherently talk about position. They use materials including straw, sticks and bricks to create houses and sequence them into the 'first, second and third piggy's house'.

Children are extremely articulate in their conversations. They use rich and complex language, in relation to their age. For example, three-year-old children confidently declare 'the big bad wolf has injuries'.

Younger children explain that another storybook character is wearing a 'bow tie' and at lunchtime children talk about food, including 'chicken satay'.Children arrive in high spirits and their laughter and chatter is heard throughout the environment. They play harmoniously and have a delightful time together.

Children's social skills and behaviour are impeccable. For example, they regulate their own behaviour and that of their peers. They confidently take on additional responsibilities and support staff with the effective running of the pre-school as they take on the role of 'special helper'.

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

The inspirational manager and devoted staff, who share the same ethos, are extremely proactive. They are committed to making constant improvements. Self-evaluation is precisely focused.

The strong desire to achieve excellence has helped them to maintain this exceptional standard.Teaching is outstanding. Staff promote children's language skills and extend their vocabulary across all seven areas of learning.

Children are extremely articulate as they converse with others. For example, young children use rich and meaningful language as they engage in animated conversations with staff and their peers. Staff are incredible at promoting children's literacy skills.

Staff weave stories, rhymes and writing activities into every aspect of this outstanding pre-school.Staff are highly qualified and use their superb skills and abilities extremely well.They plan inspiring and captivating activities and experiences, such as a 'welly walk' in the natural environment.

Children look for colours in the outdoors and discuss how colours change, depending on the time of day or the weather. Activities like this enthuse and challenge all children. This contributes towards their excellent progress.

Additional funding is used exceedingly well. Staff recently purchased a puppet theatre to build on children's interest in imaginative play. Older girls dress in masks and curly tails.

They use animated expressions and voices as they take on the role of the 'pig' and the 'wolf'. All children are expressive and imaginative learners who invite enthusiastic staff into their role-play games.Children's emotional well-being is superbly promoted.

All children thrive, feel safe and are secure. Children have remarkably high levels of self-esteem. They talk to visitors with poise and confidence.

The nurturing and highly responsive staff know children individually and interact with them with real affection and care.Partnership with parents is exceptional. Staff truly value and encourage parental involvement and include them in all aspects of children's care and learning.

Parents are extremely complimentary about the excellent level of care and education that children receive. They particularly like the online system for information sharing.The manager recognises the importance of providing staff with continual professional development to continue to maintain high-quality practice.

Staff are empowered and supported to seek additional training opportunities. Staff comment that they receive a wealth of support and are given time to develop their already excellent skills and knowledge. They complete peer-to-peer observations and take turns to deliver teaching sessions to the whole group.

This helps them to share their excellent teaching skills and exemplary practice with each other.Partnership working with the host school is outstanding. Children access school facilities, such as the dining hall, and staff work cooperatively with teachers.

Children are exceptionally well prepared for the move to school as the transition process is seamless.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff have an acute awareness and thorough understanding of child protection procedures.

This includes the process to follow should they have concerns about the welfare of a child or the behaviour of a colleague. The manager regularly tests staff on their already impeccable safeguarding knowledge. Staff are vigilant in their approach to protecting children's welfare but allow them to take well-supervised risks in the outstanding and extensive garden.

Children demonstrate their own excellent understanding of risk and safety. For example, as they climb and balance on large tyres and expertly manoeuvre bicycles across a large ramp, children remind others to be careful. Children are extremely well protected.

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