Flutterbies Preschool Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy when they arrive. They eagerly run into the pre-school and are warmly welcomed by the staff. Children look for their friends and quickly settle to play. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, show they feel safe at pre-school. Children are confident to approach staff for reassurance and they enjoy staff's positive interactions with them as they play. Children show a positive attitude to their learning. They are keen to choose their own play materials and confidently move resources to extend their play, for example they take toy figures and vehicles to the play dough table to add to their game.

The curriculum has a high focus on children's interests and this results in children being motivated and curious to explore what is on offer to them. The staff encourage children to get deeply involved and to think about what they are doing in their play. For example, children use doll's house figures with the construction bricks to make new houses for the figures. They work out the best bricks to use to ensure the figures fit inside. This contributes to children's creativity and problem-solving skills.

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

• The staff team feel supported and valued by the manager, who shows a commitment to their ongoing professional development. Staff are encouraged to work towards qualifications and they comment that the extra knowledge is beneficial to their practice with children. Staff recently completed training relating to recognising and promoting children's mental well-being. The manager reports that this helped staff learn some useful strategies, such as yoga and breathing techniques, to help children begin to manage their feelings and emotions.
• Staff are successful in broadening the experiences children have at home, when they start attending pre-school. For example, children are supported by staff to be confident to explore a range of different textures during messy play. Staff also extend children's understanding about the local community and nature. Staff take children on walks to a local green space where they have room to run around and feed the ducks at the pond.
• Staff promote children's speaking skills. Staff talk to children as they play and show an interest in what they are doing. Four-year-old children are becoming articulate as they tell staff about how 'he transforms into a giant robot', when describing the toy they are playing with. However, on occasion, staff continue to speak and ask lots of questions in quick succession without giving children the time to think about what they want to say in response.
• Children behave well and they quickly learn about the daily routines. They eagerly help to tidy away at the end of the session. Children listen to staff when they remind them to be kind to their friends and to share the toys. Most children benefit from the group activities, when they listen to stories or sing songs and rhymes with the staff. However, the activities are not consistently pitched appropriately to meet the needs of all children taking part. This results in some children choosing not to join in or losing interest part way through.
• Parents speak very positively about the pre-school. They comment on how friendly and approachable the staff are. They say staff always give them information every day, so they know what their children have been doing. Parents are happy that their children are learning new things at pre-school, such as songs and numbers. Parents say their children's speech and confidence are improving thanks to the pre-school staff.
• Staff help children to develop their independence skills as part of their preparation for going to school when the time comes. Children choose freely from toys, resources and books that are accessible in low-level storage units and shelves. They serve themselves at snack time and pour their own drinks. Children know where to put their coats and bags when they arrive, and they find their name to register their attendance.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve staff interactions with children to ensure they give children time to think about what they want to say before staff move on to ask further questions
• enhance the organisation of group activities to ensure that they meet each child's needs and maintain their interest.