Windmill Pre-School at Vaynor

Windmill Pre-School at Vaynor

Unique reference number (URN): EY302852 Address: Vaynor First School, Tennyson Road, REDDITCH, Worcestershire, B97 5BL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 08/03/2005 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Windmill Pre-School Midlands Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders prioritise a positive, respectful environment where expectations for behaviour are well understood. Children behave kindly, share willingly and sustain play collaboratively. Staff respond calmly and consistently when children need support, using sensitive redirection and modelling to help them understand boundaries.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning. They display great curiosity, enthusiasm and determination, such as when testing how objects roll down pipes outdoors or when experimenting with kinetic sand and loose parts. They listen attentively during group times and enjoy contributing.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Attendance is well promoted. Staff follow up absences promptly and contact families each day. They are confident in the local authority reporting procedures should they have concerns about a child's non-attendance. These actions support children's continuity of learning and help maintain their wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's emotional and physical wellbeing is central to the setting's work. Key-person relationships are secure and highly nurturing. Staff tune in to children's cues, provide reassurance when needed and expertly support them to recognise and manage their emotions. Children with anxiety benefit from consistent routines and gentle transitions that help them feel safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff teach children how to care for themselves, keep themselves safe and make healthy choices. Children enjoy outdoor play daily, drink water independently and talk about how food grows as they tend to the vegetables they have grown. They work collaboratively with their peers to manage small risks safely, such as rolling large equipment. Hygiene routines are well embedded, and staff reinforce expectations in calm, age-appropriate ways.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's health needs are understood and managed confidently. For example, health care plans are followed carefully, reviewed routinely and used to ensure that staff know how to respond promptly. Leaders' strong culture of care ensures that all children's welfare needs are met effectively.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have created an inclusive culture where children's individual needs are consistently swiftly identified, assessed and supported. Staff use the graduated approach rigorously and confidently. They work extremely closely with parents, speech and language therapists, the area special educational needs coordinator and other professionals to shape personalised plans. This ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children receiving additional funding and those facing emotional or behavioural barriers receive precisely the support they need.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders review support plans regularly and adapt the inviting environment and routines effectively. For example, children on the autism pathway benefit from predictable experiences and visual structures that help them regulate and participate. Children with more complex needs access targeted one-to-one support, consistency in communication strategies and well-matched sensory resources purchased through additional funding. These rigorous approaches enable children to engage meaningfully in all aspects of the setting's routines and curriculum and make rapid progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders provide highly effective direction and create a culture where children and staff thrive. They make decisions firmly rooted in the best interests of children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning. Leaders' oversight of safeguarding, inclusion and curriculum implementation is consistent and well established.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders understand the setting's strengths well and are equally clear about areas that are not yet consistently strong. They recognise that, while most teaching is effective, some staff are less confident in adapting interactions during activities to extend learning for older or more confident children. Leaders have identified this through routine observations, supervision and reflective use of the inspection toolkit, and they have prioritised this appropriately.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are already taking effective action. They provide daily feedback, use supervision to focus on teaching quality and questioning, and encourage staff to share best practice. Training is well planned and targeted, and staff value opportunities to continually build on their skills.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff workload and wellbeing are managed sensitively. Leaders offer regular supervision, daily feedback and supportive professional development. Partnership working is a considerable strength. Leaders build incredibly positive relationships with families, the on- site school and external agencies, and parents feel fully involved in decisions and speak extremely highly of the care and progress their children make.

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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children make secure progress from their starting points across all areas of learning. They develop particularly strong foundations in communication and language through songs, stories, conversations and consistent routines. Children gain increasing independence, concentrate for sustained periods and show early confidence in solving problems.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well because support is precisely matched to their needs and regularly reviewed. Children with speech and language delay make clear gains in vocabulary and expressive language. Those who experience anxiety or need additional emotional support show improved confidence and smoother separation from parents.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children leave the setting well prepared for the next stage of their education. They understand routines, cooperate with others and show readiness for the expectations of school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that reflects the needs of the community and builds on children's independence, communication and physical skills securely over time. Staff understand the curriculum intent and plan purposeful experiences that help children revisit and consolidate their learning. For example, practical activities such as moulding play dough in time to music, threading, construction and gardening strengthen children's fine and gross motor skills while supporting their language and problem-solving skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff interact warmly and use clear vocabulary to develop children's communication. They model mathematical language well during play, such as exploring size, quantity and comparison. Staff adapt activities thoughtfully for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, using objects of reference, signing and visual prompts to ensure that the curriculum is inclusive for every child's individual needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, most staff's teaching is effective and responsive. They generally use assessment well to identify what skills children need to learn next during planned experiences. However, not all staff adapt their interactions and teaching as swiftly as they could during activities, particularly for older or more confident children. At times, opportunities to deepen children's thinking or extend their problem-solving skills are not maximised.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children arrive happily and settle quickly because staff greet them warmly and know them extremely well. They feel safe, valued and part of a close community. Children form trusting relationships with staff, confidently share their ideas and show pride in their achievements. They cooperate well with their peers, such as when rolling tyres outdoors and negotiating how to move them together. These shared experiences help children build on their communication skills, resilience and self-esteem.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children enjoy their learning. They sing enthusiastically during circle time, explore sensory experiences with curiosity and immerse themselves in imaginative play such as building towers or creating 'snowmen' from play dough. They benefit from routines that help them

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Inspector:

Dale Ramsey understand what comes next, and younger or more anxious children are sensitively supported to take part at their own pace.

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Inspector:

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included. Staff adapt routines, use visual aids and offer flexible expectations so every child can participate confidently. Children make strong progress from their starting points, particularly in communication and regulation. Parents describe the setting as 'amazing' and feel deeply reassured by the care, communication and expertise of the staff.

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Inspector:

Children thrive because leaders and staff prioritise their safety, wellbeing and readiness for school. They learn positive habits, such as washing hands, growing their own produce and noticing changes in the environment. They benefit from high attendance expectations and close partnership with the on-site school, which helps them feel prepared for their next steps.

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Next steps

Leaders should support all staff to adapt interactions and teaching more swiftly during activities to enable older or more confident children to make the best possible progress.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners and parents during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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Address:

Vaynor First School Tennyson Road REDDITCH Worcestershire B97 5BL

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Windmill Pre-School Midlands Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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