Houghton & Wyton Pre-School Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children flourish in this superbly inclusive pre-school and enjoy a wealth of excellent learning opportunities. The experienced staff team know the children exceptionally well and develop strong bonds with them.

They go to exceptional lengths to settle children in at their own pace and use various strategies to support and reassure them. This helps children feel safe and secure to go off and explore the stimulating and imaginative learning experiences staff provide for them. For example, children enjoy daily nature walks in the local community, where they hunt for bugs and learn the names of flowers and berries.

...>Children demonstrate their learning by telling visitors plant names and how to rub them to release the scent. Children thoroughly enjoy observing the natural world around them and staff use every opportunity to extend their knowledge. For instance, the children are fascinated with a red spider they find.

They engage in discussions about its needs and excitedly go hunting for food and resources to create a natural habitat for it.Children demonstrate excellent levels of engagement as they explore. This is supported through the sensory-rich environment, where they are curious and free to combine resources and materials in their play.

For instance, adding herbs and petals to imaginary meals and spooning jelly and bugs into bowls and trays. Combining role play and physical skills with sensory and mathematical thinking enables children to refine their skills in purposeful play.

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

The manager, committee and staff share and promote the ethos and vision for the setting.

There is a strong focus based on continually evolving and supporting staff to continue to provide high-quality inclusive provision. Staff say they feel exceptionally well supported and are passionate about their roles within the pre-school. They are supported to access training and share strategies among the staff team to ensure the children receive continuity in their learning.

Children benefit from the emphasis the staff team place on meeting and developing their personal, social and emotional needs. The key-person system works exceptionally well to ensure that new children and their families receive precisely tailored support to help them settle.Staff are highly skilled at supporting children's communication and language development.

They use a variety of teaching methods to meet all children's needs and preferences. Staff support children to become confident speakers and encourage them to share their ideas. Children's vocabulary is extended as staff introduce new words, such as 'blurb' and 'title', at story time.

Children confidently ask questions of staff in play and learn interesting facts.Staff provide a rich curriculum, both in and away from the pre-school. For example, children spend time in the community, where they can explore the natural environment.

They engage in fun and challenging activities, such as treasure hunts and accessing large play apparatus.Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and act as positive role models. As such, children show care toward each other and take turns with equipment.

Staff support children to develop a sense of belonging as they are often involved in the daily tasks in the pre-school. These include caring for plants and setting up activities, as well as other small tasks that replicate home life. For example, children help tidy the tables following lunch, and wash and dry the dishes.

This helps to continually foster their independence and self-esteem.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit greatly from the outstanding focus placed on meeting their individual needs. Staff use various transition strategies to support children with daily routines.

For example, when changes are made to the play environment, staff send photographs home to prepare children and allow them to visually know what to expect. Sand timers are used as a visual countdown to aid children to move on through activities, and quiet times are used to enable all children to access story time.Parents receive excellent communication from staff about their child's time in the pre-school.

Staff listen to parents and value their input. Parents comment on the exceptional support they receive from staff to support their children's learning at home. These include home visits where staff model activities and a lending library for parents to access books and resources to support specific skills, such as cutting and writing.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff receive regular training in safeguarding and updates are shared among the staff team as they occur. All staff are very secure in their understanding of the nursery procedures to follow should they have any concerns about the children or adults associated with the children's care.

Staff demonstrate a great awareness of the signs and symptoms of abuse, including any concerns associated with female genital mutilation or radicalisation. Robust recruitment procedures and regular checks of ongoing suitability ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Ongoing risk assessing ensures children play in a safe and secure environment.