Willow Bank Pre-School

Inspection of Willow Bank Pre-School Duffield Road, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire RG5 4RW

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Staff warmly welcome children, parents and carers on arrival. They provide a caring approach to children who need support. This helps children to settle quickly and enjoy their play and learning. Children form positive relationships with staff and develop a strong sense of belonging. They understand the daily routines and expectations well. Staff encourage children to remember the behaviour expectations and provide reminders. For example, they remind children about using their 'walking feet' indoors and encourage them to consider where it is safer to run around. Staff praise and encourage children. This securely promotes children's confidence in their abilities. Children build their independence and self-care skills effectively and learn to do tasks by themselves.

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The provision is good

There is a clear curriculum that identifies the skills and knowledge children need to gain to prepare them for their next stage of learning. Staff quickly identify children who may need extra support. They promptly take steps to help close any gaps in children's learning and development. There is a strong focus on developing children's communication and language skills. Staff build children's vocabulary and understanding effectively. For instance, they involve children in discussions, reading books and singing songs and rhymes. Staff successfully weave in teaching during play and interactions with children. For example, they support children to recall prior knowledge, including recognising and sequencing numbers. Overall, staff's practice and most organisational aspects of the pre-school are securely implemented

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need to do better?

n Overall, the daily organisation of the pre-school is secure. However, procedures to ensure all committee members have their suitability checked and verified by Ofsted, as required, are not always followed consistently. Although this is a breach of requirements, there is no significant impact for children as these committee members do not have unsupervised contact with children or have access to confidential information. n Staff quickly seek support for children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or need extra support. They work closely with parents and professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This helps them to provide a consistent approach to supporting children's needs. Staff carefully consider the use of additional funding to ensure this supports children's individual learning needs. n Staff have a secure understanding of their key children's next steps in learning

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need to do better?

and the learning intentions of activities. They plan interesting activities that promote children's curiosity and exploration. For instance, children enthusiastically looked for insects using magnifying glasses and recorded their

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need to do better?

6 November 2024 findings using pencils and clipboards. Occasionally, staff do not fully implement learning intentions. For example, they do not always consider further ways to encourage more social interactions with some children who happily play alone. Overall, teaching is effective and children make good or better progress from their starting points. n Staff help children to explore their emotions, including through books and discussions. This helps children to identify their feelings and express them. For instance, children match their names at self-registration to photos of simple emotions. They gain a good understanding of behaviour expectations, which helps them learn to regulate their own behaviour. n Staff encourage children to make their own choices and to be independent. For example, they teach children to put on their own coats and show them how to do up the zips. Children serve themselves their own snacks and learn to manage

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need to do better?

their own lunches. Occasionally, staff do not consider how they organise and manage daily routines, such as the times when children eat. Not all staff follow expected processes and some stand over children while they eat. This does not fully promote relaxed and sociable mealtimes. n Staff promote the inclusion of children's backgrounds well. They display photos of children and their families and encourage parents to provide information about their celebrations, cultures and religions. Staff plan activities that help children to learn about their own and other's backgrounds. This includes children bringing in items from home that are linked to their backgrounds. n Parents and carers speak highly about the pre-school. They describe it as 'brilliant' and say that their children 'thrive' there. Staff encourage parents to share details about their children's needs from the start. They provide ongoing information to parents, including children's next steps in learning. This helps to

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need to do better?

promote a consistent approach to working towards these. n The staff team works closely together and shares responsibilities. Staff feel supported in their work. They undertake training and professional development. This includes identifying specific training that supports the individual needs of children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

6 November 2024 ensure there are effective procedures for all committee members to promptly submit the required information to Ofsted to check and verify their suitability for their roles. 04/12/2024

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should:

n support staff to implement the learning intentions more consistently to promote children's learning and development further n embed staff's understanding of their roles and responsibilities during routine times of the day, to ensure these times are supported effectively and consistently.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 148695 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 10363916 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person Willow Bank Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01189 27 2338 Date of previous inspection 16 January 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Willow Bank Pre-School registered in 2001 and is operated by a committee of parents and carers. It is located in Woodley, near Reading, Berkshire within the grounds of Willow Bank Infant School. It is open each weekday from 8.45am to 3.30pm during school term time. The provider offers government funded childcare places and receives specific funding for disadvantaged children. There are a total of 11 staff who work with the children, including two staff who work over lunchtimes. Of these, eight staff hold recognised early years qualifications between level 2 and level 4.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n Children chatted to the inspector and interacted with her during the inspection. n Parents and carers shared their views of the pre-school with the inspector. n A sample of documentation was reviewed as part of the inspection process. n Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector spoke with the manager and deputy manager about the leadership

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

6 November 2024 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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