Caterpillars to Butterflies Pre school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families are at the heart of this inclusive setting. There is a strong community ethos. Staff build, maintain and nurture excellent relationships with children and their families. Staff model positive relationships, effective communication and teamwork consistently well to children. They are kind, attentive and nurturing. When children wake from their sleep, they seek out staff for cuddles. This demonstrates that children feel safe and secure.

Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play. They have ample opportunities to be physically active, exercising their gross motor skills. They ride on bikes and scooters, racing down the hill and running back up with enthusiasm to do it all over again. Children take turns to climb up the steps and slide down the slide. They enjoy the freedom and opportunities the large open space provides.

Staff are calm and patient in their approach to behaviour management. They offer gentle reminders of the setting's rules throughout the day. Children help to tidy up and enjoy roles with responsibility. For example, children take pride giving out the cups to their friends at morning snack. Staff take time to explain to children what is happening next. This helps to manage children's expectations.

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

• The setting has developed a curriculum designed to give children the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in life. Additional funding is used well to provide enriching experiences for children. The curriculum is well planned and takes account of children's learning and developmental needs. Staff observe and assess children regularly. This helps them to monitor their progress and identify any gaps in their knowledge and skills. That said, older children are not consistently provided with challenging learning opportunities to enable them to make the best possible progress.
• Support for communication and language development is good. Children enjoy sharing stories with their friends. They sing a variety of songs throughout the day. Children joyfully move their bodies and stamp their feet to the rhythm of the songs they sing. Staff talk to children constantly, asking open-ended questions and engaging in back-and-forth conversations. They talk slowly and clearly. This supports children to use their spoken language.
• Children learn about healthy lifestyles. The setting places a strong emphasis on providing balanced, healthy and nutritious meals. Children benefit from fresh air and physical activities every day. Leaders make parents aware of a range of opportunities available to them within their local community. This supports children's physical development and well-being.
• Children generally have a positive attitude towards learning. They participate in a broad range of learning opportunities, both indoors and outdoors. However, there are times where children quickly lose interest in the activities provided. This causes distractions for other children. Staff are not always quick to recognise and respond to this. As a result, children's concentration is not always sustained long enough to maximise their learning.
• Children make good progress with their personal development and independence skills. They learn to drink from open-top cups and eat with a knife and fork. Children wash their hands independently, and older children are encouraged to put on their own coats. These are important skills in preparation for school.
• Leaders and staff have the same ambitions for all children. They understand the needs of children who attend that have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work in close partnership with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists and health visitors, to ensure that children get the targeted support that they need.
• Building relationships with families is at the heart of the setting. Staff provide considerable support for parents and children. Parents comment on the progress their children make, in particular with their communication skills. They receive regular updates about their child at daily handovers and via an online application.
• Leaders strive for continual improvement. Staff report high levels of well-being and describe the setting as a 'happy' place to work. Regular communication and formal supervisions allow an open dialogue between leaders and staff. Staff have access to a wide range of training opportunities. This helps to ensure that teaching remains at a consistently good level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure all learning opportunities challenge older children to support them to make the best possible progress in their learning and development
• support staff to be more responsive to children during their play to allow children to sustain concentration and become deeply engaged in their learning.