The Wantage Nursery & Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy within the nursery.

They are warmly welcomed by staff and enter the playrooms with confidence, demonstrating that they feel safe. For example, children greet visitors with enthusiasm. They inform the inspector how they can 'hop on one leg,' and 'it is parents' evening tomorrow.'

Children settle well to choose activities which support their learning. For example, children join in with singing songs and rhymes. They listen with interest to familiar stories and confidently predict what will happen next.

All children are well behaved. The nursery is resourced well, which ignites their curiosity... and eagerness to learn both inside and outside. For instance, babies explore the outdoor area confidently, making choices about their play.

They experience the feel of the rice in their hands, and staff read age-appropriate books to them, modelling new words to develop their emerging language skills. Toddlers enjoy making marks in paint with different shapes and bricks, with staff describing the colours and shapes, to promote children's mathematical language. Pre-school children are confident to explore their ideas and recall their existing knowledge.

For example, they know golden syrup is 'sticky' and forms part of the recipe for their gingerbread men. They demonstrate a broad vocabulary and are starting to recognise letters and sounds. For example, children recognise that the words, 'astronaut,' and 'apple,' both begin with the same letter.

Children are showing readiness for school.

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

The leadership team and staff have been proactive in addressing the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection and implementing improvements. They are a highly reflective team, who work very well together to provide the best possible environment for children to learn and develop.

In addition, they have worked with the local authority to devise improvement plans and access further training.Children benefit from a curriculum that is carefully considered and well planned. Staff build on what children already know and can do.

They provide activities that follow the child's individual interests and what they need to learn next.All staff have completed behaviour training to help them support children further. Children behave very well in the nursery.

For example, they know the 'nursery's rules,' and follow them well; they can share and are polite to one another. Staff are excellent role models.Staff are warm, kind and caring to children.

All children have a key person. Staff understand the importance of this role in helping children build attachments and feel safe and secure. Staff have benefitted from additional training on the key-person approach, and opportunities for children to spend time with their key person have been maximised.

Children with English as an additional language are supported well. For example, parents share common keywords in their home language regularly, and staff use visual prompts to further support their language development.Staff are skilled in providing teaching that builds on what children already know and can do.

They engage and motivate children to learn. For example, they enthusiastically talk to children about a favourite book and children recite well-known phrases from the story, such as, 'run, run as fast as you can…' However, occasionally, some staff do not allow children enough time to think and formulate a response to questions posed.Relationships with parents are strong.

Parents leave glowing testimonials and speak highly of the 'kind and caring staff' team. Staff communicate well with parents, with daily updates on children's progress and regular parents' evenings.Staff work effectively to develop children's communication skills.

For example, they carry out regular small-group activities and read to children with enthusiasm and excitement. Staff model language well with children, identify specific needs early on and provide targeted support. They work closely with other agencies, ensuring that children receive specialist support when needed.

The leadership team undertakes regular supervision and observation of staff. However, the leadership team recognise there is still scope for continuous professional development opportunities to focus more precisely on raising the quality of teaching to the highest level.Mealtimes are social occasions and children's independence is supported well by staff.

Children learn to manage their self-care needs with confidence. Older children address their toilet needs well, wash hands independently and are learning to use the 'nose blowing station.' Staff speak highly of the support they receive from the manager and the wider team.

Staff have regular meetings, say they enjoy their work and have regular checks on their own well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager ensures staff have a good understanding of the setting's safeguarding policy and they keep their training up to date.

The manager and staff recognise signs and symptoms that would cause them to be concerned for a child's welfare. They know how to identify children that may be exposed to extreme views. Staff know how to report any concerns they may have about any children or the adults they encounter.

The manager knows how to take swift action to protect children or deal with allegations against staff. Robust recruitment and induction procedures are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on the good teaching practice in place and ensure all staff give children enough time to think and formulate ideas for themselves nenhance the professional development programme for staff to improve the quality of teaching to the highest level.

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