Haslingfield Little Owls Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager to attend the pre-school and happily separate from their parents in the outdoor area. They demonstrate that they are familiar with the daily routines. Children know where to place their bags and drink bottles before sitting on a cushion ready for the 'morning meet'. Children develop friendships and laugh as they enjoy playing together. They show that they have positive relationships with staff and are eager to share their experiences from home. Children develop their independence. They learn self-care skills, including the importance of good hygiene.

There are plentiful opportunities for children to explore and learn about nature. Children dig for worms and, when they find them, are keen to point out that they look like a familiar letter or number. Staff are enthusiastic and encouraging in their approach. They offer lots of praise and build children's confidence as they do so.

Children have many opportunities for physical activities, which has a positive impact on their mental health and well-being. They climb the large tree and tell staff, 'I'm pretending to be a squirrel'. Staff supervise children well. Children are eager to change their clothes in readiness for the weekly physical education session. This helps to prepare them for the next stage in their learning, such as starting school.

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

• The trustees, as the registered provider, have a thorough oversight of the pre-school provision. The new manager is dedicated and passionate about working with staff, parents and children to bring about improvements and enhance the provision. Staff thoughtfully monitor and adapt the environment and the daily routine to meet children's individual needs. For example, changes have been made to the outdoor area and staff have identified that, as a result, children are now more engaged in their play.
• The manager has a clear understanding of what is important for children to learn, taking account of their experiences at home and in the wider world. The staff share this vision and together provide an exciting curriculum that meets all children's individual learning and development needs.
• Staff complete thorough risk assessments to ensure the environment is safe and suitable. They expertly support children to learn how to manage risks and keep themselves safe. For example, they use 'Digby' the hand puppet to talk about how to climb the tree safely and explain the importance of cutting grapes in half.
• Staff use every opportunity to support children's communication skills. They spend much of their time engaging children in conversation and actively listen to what they have to say. Some staff are very skilled in the use of 'Makaton' sign language and use this to enhance interactions throughout the session.
• Children have a broad range of experiences which help them to learn about people and communities beyond their own. They confidently use their acquired knowledge in their play. For example, children call out 'Hola' to their friends as they climb the tree.
• Parents are extremely complimentary of the pre-school and staff. They say that they like that the pre-school is 'very outdoorsy' and comment that their children are 'thriving and making huge leaps in their progress'.
• The manager provides staff with strong levels of support. Staff say the pre-school 'is an amazing place to work' and their well-being is always discussed. Supervisions and staff meetings are used to discuss and identify any gaps in staff's knowledge and any training needs. The manager monitors staff performance closely and provides ongoing opportunities for staff to shadow good practice. However, there are times when staff do not yet have the confidence to consistently challenge and extend children's learning.
• Children develop a love of books. They access them readily and enjoy listening to stories read by staff. Children have their own 'library cards' and select books to take home to share with their parents.
• Staff are kind and caring and model respectful behaviour. They support children to talk about their feelings and opinions. However, this is not yet embedded. This means that children do not consistently understand the impact their behaviour may have on others.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to challenge and extend children's learning to ensure that children achieve as much as they can
• further support children to develop a better understanding of how their behaviour may have an impact on others.