Giggles Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter this warm and welcoming pre-school with a smile. They are greeted by friendly staff and are quickly settled into a safe and stimulating environment. Children use their senses to investigate bread dough. They squeeze and manipulate the dough. They tip the dough out onto the table and add flavourings as the engaging staff member reads a story about making bread. The children act out the story as the staff member reads. This builds on their listening and recall skills. Children develop their mathematical skills. They recognise and write numbers carefully on paper. They find stones with numbers on and they carefully identify the numbers and count the stones. In the garden, children have further opportunities to identify written numbers as they play hopscotch.

Children listen to a song about dinosaurs. They stomp around the playground with delight, in time with the music. Encouraging and enthusiastic staff join in, singing the words of the song so that the children can copy. This builds on children's language and literacy skills. Children use their small-muscle skills to sew. They carefully push a needle through felt to join the material together. Children develop their large-muscle skills in the garden. They use three- and two-wheeled bicycles with confidence. This helps children to develop their coordination. Children develop their independence at snack time. They butter their cracker and sprinkle cheese on top. Children independently wash their hands before eating and put on their own coats and shoes.

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

• Staff provide a board curriculum that focuses on children's interests and builds on what children already know and can do. As a result, children are making good progress. Staff identify any gaps in children's learning and address these swiftly.
• Staff react quickly to incidents, such as children's minor accidents. They are warm towards injured children, showing kindness and effective care. As part of the daily routine, children help staff to conduct risk assessments. They use a tick chart to identify any risks. This helps children to become aware of and manage their own safety effectively.
• Parents speak warmly about the pre-school. They know what their children are learning and the activities that staff provide. Parents talk about the additional support the manager has given their children and the regular updates they receive.
• Staff are alert to children's well-being. They use sentences such as 'I'm really proud of you,' to build children's confidence and make secure attachments with the children. This helps children build their self-esteem during their time at pre-school. Children are given the opportunity to vote for their favourite stories, introducing the concept of democracy at the setting.
• The children develop their care and compassion skills as they look after a rabbit and a Guinea pig during their pre-school session. They gently give the animals water and make sure they are fed. Furthermore, they care for flowers they have planted by watering them. This gives children the opportunity to learn about the natural world.
• Children are motivated and engaged learners. They interact with visitors and are polite and responsive to direction. Children tidy up during the session and staff gently remind them to use 'please' and 'thank you' when appropriate.
• The dedicated management team is committed to driving the pre-school forward. The manager supports staff to build on their knowledge. However, occasionally staff fail to adapt activities to meet the needs of the children. For example, sometimes staff ask multiple questions to younger children in quick succession. Children struggle to understand and process the questions and sometimes wander off.
• Staff promote healthy lifestyles and build on the experiences the children have had. Children brush pretend teeth with toothbrushes and they talk about their trips to see the dentist. Children enjoy sitting together at lunchtime. Staff sit with the children and encourage them to eat their healthy food.
• Staff use additional funding to enhance children's learning opportunities. For example, children engage in swimming lessons and football training. This gives children the opportunity to benefit from different life experiences.
• Children enjoy listening to a wide range of music. They expertly handle instruments and excitedly bang and shake them in time to the music. Enthusiastic staff encourage children to tap a steady beat and sing some of the songs as they play.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's skills and confidence to adapt activities to meet the needs of all the children.