Fledgelings Pre-School Brandon

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this nurturing pre-school where every child really does matter. Older children talk confidently about their emotions and younger children point to pictures to explain how they are feeling. They understand that sometimes it is okay to feel sad or angry.

Children are confident because staff give them lots of encouragement and praise. They show this by happily approaching adults to involve them in their play.

Children learn lots of new words when talking with staff. For example, when mixing powder paint, they learn the word 'pipette' for the tool they use to add water one drop at a time.

Children behave in a respectful way and readily share their toys and resources. This is because staff act as good role models. Children are independent. They put on their coats, find equipment, and tidy up with very little help from staff.

Children benefit from being cared for by well-qualified and experienced staff. The atmosphere is calm and productive. Small groups of children play together with great concentration. For example, children are excited to find a millipede and staff show them how they can use a magnifying glass to look more closely at it. Together they look at a book about mini beasts to find out more about millipedes.

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

• The manager has a clear vision of the skills and knowledge the children need to learn before they leave the pre-school. All staff share this goal and work hard to put it into action. Following lockdown closures, some children had gaps in their learning. Staff quickly noticed this and adapted their plans. They gave children emotional support to help them settle back in and focused on helping children to share and to attend to their personal care needs.
• Parents say they feel very well supported at the pre-school. They know what their child is learning and how to help them at home. During lockdown, staff made weekly contact to make suggestions for their child's learning or to offer practical help. Many parents said that the manager had 'gone above and beyond' to help them, not just in lockdown but at other times too.
• Staff have a deep understanding of how children learn and the order in which they need to learn it. They use this knowledge to adapt activities so that any child can take part. For example, they encourage older children to write some recognisable letters from their name. They guide young children in holding a pencil correctly as they make marks.
• The manager and staff work tirelessly to make sure that children have exciting opportunities to learn. Children are eager and curious to try new activities. High staffing levels ensure that children receive individual attention. Those who are not making progress as expected in their learning are swiftly identified and given extra help to reach their full potential. The manager has established excellent relationships with outside agencies and this successfully contributes to ensuring that children get the help they need.
• Staff have established good routines that children readily follow. They make good use of each opportunity to extend children's learning. For example, children and staff count down from five to zero before starting tidy-up time.
• The manager has a very good understanding of what the pre-school does well and what it needs to do better. She has a clear plan in place to develop and improve further. Staff well-being is a priority for the manager. This is done through regular welfare checks and supervision meetings. Staff feel well supported and understood by leaders.
• Staff know that one activity can be used to teach a range of different things. However, staff are not always clear about which skill or piece of knowledge they intend for children to learn in planned activities.
• Children develop the small muscles in their hands, using different materials and tools. However, staff do not consistently provide enough opportunities for older children to practise their physical skills. They do not do always challenge the most physically active children to help them learn to safely manage risks in their play.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more consistent support to help staff identify the intended learning for planned activities
• enrich opportunities for older children to take risks in their play and practise and refine their gross motor skills.