Wanlip Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Enthusiastic and friendly staff welcome the children when they arrive. Children separate from their parents with ease and are eager to start their day. Staff are kind, caring and attentive.

This helps children to feel emotionally safe and secure in their care. Any child who needs comfort is quickly reassured and settled. Staff build on children's interests and experiences from home.

For example, they provide small-world resources and role-play and dressing-up outfits, which are themed around popular characters children watch on television at home. This helps children to make connections between home and the pre-school.... Staff understand the importance of enabling children to begin to manage conflicts with others, supporting them to do this.

When children want a resource another child is playing with, they suggest, 'Let's share', saying, 'You have it first, then it is my turn'. Staff provide children with language-rich experiences. Children are motivated to join in with the staff's storytelling.

When asked, they keenly use props and masks to help tell stories. This hands-on approach helps children to link words to meaning. Children enjoy joining in with group activities with staff.

For example, staff use a balloon to teach children about size. They blow up the balloon until it is 'massive'. Staff then allow the balloon to deflate as they talk about it being small, and children laugh as staff let the balloon go, and it flies around the room.

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

The staff team has worked together at the pre-school for many years and is dedicated to providing the best care and learning for children. Staff regularly reflect on their practice and evaluate the activities to help improve experiences for children. For example, staff develop the outdoor space to help children take and manage risks safely.

Staff interact well with children. They get down to children's level and use good techniques to encourage their communication and language skills. Staff model language and use skilful questioning.

For example, as children explore play dough, staff ask them to talk about their creations.Children benefit from a sequenced and structured curriculum. Staff take account of children's different ages and stages of development when planning activities and the support they provide.

They help children new to pre-school to separate confidently from their parents and carers and help them to build friendships. For example, during group time, staff encourage new children to learn the names of the other children. Staff ensure that older children learn skills that will help them when the time comes to move to school.

They provide activities, such as painting, to help children develop the small muscles in their hands in readiness for early writing.Young children are learning to follow instructions, such as when staff remind them to have a drink to stay hydrated or to find their sunhats to wear outdoors. Occasionally, staff need to remind children what they expect of them, such as the need to share, carefully explaining the reason for doing so.

This helps children to begin to understand the pre-school's rules and boundaries.Staff promote handwashing routines, such as before children eat and after they use the bathroom. However, they do not always help children to learn about making healthy food choices.

For example, staff guide children to choose a snack from their lunch box, but they do not always explain why some food is better saved for lunchtime.Staff support children to be physically active and to learn new skills. Less confident children are encouraged to take the hand of a staff member as they walk along a balance beam.

Staff offer lots of praise and encouragement for children to persevere. Children master climbing on complex equipment as staff count, 'one, two, three'. This subtly introduces numbers into children's play.

Staff provide children with resources and images that represent different cultures and diversity. To support children who speak English as an additional language, staff learn keywords in their home language and use these to support their language development. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have provided fewer opportunities for children to learn about people and communities in their local area.

Parents cannot speak highly enough of the pre-school. They appreciate the online system staff use to share information and comment that their children have made good progress. Parents are particularly keen to tell the inspector about the close bonds their children make with their key persons.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The provider and staff have a good understanding of child protection and the procedure to follow if they have a concern about a child's welfare. Staff regularly access safeguarding training to keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date.

Children's safety is given the highest priority. Staff deployment is good throughout the pre-school, and children are supervised closely, both indoors and outside. Staff make children aware of any potential dangers as they play.

For example, staff point out to children the need to walk indoors, as they may trip and fall if they run. Staff hold paediatric first-aid qualifications and know how to attend to children's injuries.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to increase opportunities for children to learn about the benefits of making healthy choices help staff to strengthen children's understanding of people and communities.