Bright Sparks Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and happy at this setting. Staff greet them at the gate with a smile. Staff are warm and kind in their interactions with children, and children play very well together. For example, they set up a car track outside together, sharing the cars and bicycles, and taking turns. Children are excited to explore the wide range of activities and opportunities that are set up for them in the attractive environment. For example, they enjoy building with the 'loose parts' materials and making different structures. Staff know the children very well and have high expectations for them. They set up experiences based on their knowledge of children's needs and interests, and appropriately prioritise communication and language.

Children are engaged and focused. They benefit from listening to a wide range of stories and rhymes. Children delight in joining in with 'Tiny Tim the Turtle' using scarves and shakers. Staff support children well to learn new skills. For example, they help them to use scissors to make art and craft work. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported, and they make good progress. Staff show genuine care for children who delight in sharing their achievements with them. For example, children proudly present staff with pictures they have made, and these are immediately displayed.

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

• Leaders and managers have made significant improvements since their last inspection. They have invested in a range of resources to support children's learning, and adapted the environment to meet children's needs. For example, they have developed the outdoor space to maximise opportunities for children to develop their physical skills.
• Staff successfully use what they know about children to provide a curriculum that extends and challenges children's learning. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, staff identified a need to prioritise mathematics and plan imaginative activities to support this. For example, children enjoy exploring oats in a tray, weighing and mixing them together. They report that they 'love' counting.
• Leaders and managers have been proactive in seeking support to improve practice and to enhance the learning environment. For example, they have invested in a range of training for staff, and sought regular support from the local authority. This has resulted in significant improvements in staff knowledge and skills, for example, in literacy.
• Children's individual needs are well catered for and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language are very well supported. For example, staff are learning words in Portuguese to help individual children settle in. They are swift in identifying children's needs and providing support for parents. The special educational needs coordinator has developed effective partnerships with external agencies to provide support for families. For example, she has accompanied families of individual children to visit the schools that children will be moving on to.
• Staff have created a language-rich environment. Children benefit from a wide range of opportunities to develop their reading skills. For example, they delight in 'rhyme times' and listening to stories together. This supports children's language and communication skills, and they make good progress from their starting points.
• Parents are very complimentary about the setting and say that it is at the heart of the local community. They particularly reference the support that their children receive to develop their social skills, communication and mathematical understanding. They feel supported to help their children with their learning at home, for example, with toilet training and reading.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to do things for themselves, such as scooping out their cereal and scraping their plates away. However, support for children's independence is not fully consistent. At times, staff complete tasks which are within children's capabilities. This limits the range of opportunities children have to master skills, such as doing up their zips and having a go at writing their own names on their artwork.
• Staff talk highly of the support they receive from leaders and managers and comment that they feel like a 'family'. They benefit from daily opportunities to talk together as a team and from regular staff meetings to continue to enhance their knowledge and skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to make better use of opportunities that arise to promote children's independence.