Fingerprints Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident in this warm and nurturing environment. They are eager to learn and swiftly engage in a range of stimulating activities that reflects their interests and previous experiences. Children are imaginative and pretend to be a dentist. They welcome staff's sensitive interaction in their play. This motivates them to talk about when and how they clean their teeth at home. Group time is a positive experience when staff provide children with a strong sense of belonging.

Children are incredibly independent because staff invest time in helping them to learn how to manage their self-care and personal needs. Children enjoy the familiarity of the routines. They behave well and respond extremely well to requests, such as lining up sensibly in readiness to go and wash their hands before mealtimes. Children welcome many opportunities to carry out responsibilities. They have a wonderful time as they show good control of musical instruments, playing slowly, quickly and loudly to accompany the manager, who plays their chosen songs on the piano. Outdoors, children observe builders working and learn about their occupation. A richly resourced construction area inspires children to stack foam bricks and balance planks of wood.

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

• The manager and staff are reflective and have worked hard to improve the provision they offer since their last inspection. They have a secure understanding of the individual needs of children attending. Staff implement an ambitious sequenced curriculum with an appropriate level of challenge. Their prime focus is to swiftly close any gaps in children's learning. This ensures children gain the essential skills and knowledge they need to succeed.
• Staff gather a wealth of information from parents about what their children know and can do when they first begin attending. They use this information well to identify and plan what children need to learn next. Home visits are offered to all children and families to help staff prioritise the experiences they offer children and to aid the creation of early, secure relationships.
• Staff receive good opportunities to continue to build on their knowledge and skills that are targeted at meeting the specific needs of children attending. They share the new knowledge they gain from training with all staff to support a consistent approach. Overall, recent training to support children's communication and language has had a positive impact on promoting children's speaking skills. However, not all children who speak English as an additional language are supported as effectively. Staff do not consistently promote children's home language to fully support their language development.
• Staff provide an inclusive environment where children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are effectively supported. Staff have a secure knowledge of children's specific learning requirements and work in partnership with external agencies and parents to help them to make good progress in relation to their starting points.
• Promoting children's health is a clear priority. Staff plan and sequence activities for children over time to reinforce the importance of keeping their teeth and bodies healthy. Children are provided with healthy snacks, and staff talk to them about the benefits of the food they eat. Children benefit from fresh air during regular times in the outdoor area. They thoroughly enjoy dancing to music and have a go at creating different movements with their body. However, staff provide too much equipment outdoors. This compromises the amount of space available for them to fully participate and build on their physical skills.
• Staff embed emotional literacy into everyday activities. This supports children to understand and talk about their feelings and how their behaviour can affect others. Staff are positive role models. They value children's contributions and treat them with great respect.
• Parent partnerships are a particular strength. This contributes to high levels of continuity in children's care and learning. Parents can borrow resources and books from the lending library to help continue to support children's progress at home and foster their love of books. Parents speak fondly about the staff team and comment how they feel very well supported, particularly during changes in their children's lives.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to hear and use their home language to further support their communication skills
• strengthen the planning of the outdoor area to provide children more space to fully develop their physical skills.