Kiddiewinks Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly in this friendly pre-school. They show curiosity in the activities available and quickly engage with toys that interest them. Staff provide a curriculum around topics children enjoy, such as minibeasts. Children search for bugs in the garden and talk about what they have found. Staff use their interest to encourage communication throughout the day, including during snack time. While children eat, staff provide picture card prompts. This promotes discussions to help children recall prior knowledge about their 'bug hunt' and the creatures they found. Children have a positive attitude to learning.

Children enjoy the company of others. Staff encourage children to play cooperatively and to share resources, such as when they use the scooters. They encourage children to take on small tasks. For instance, children can be a 'special helper', where they tidy away the snack dishes, to promote their independence and a sense of responsibility.

Staff use additional funding effectively. They ensure that a full team of staff is present to support children throughout the session. For example, staff carry out small-group times with older children to help develop their confidence and listening skills.

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

• Children enjoy mathematical activities, where they join in with counting songs and begin to recognise numbers. For instance, children confidently count out the number of splashes of water as staff pour them from the jug.
• Staff provide children who require additional support with specific activities to help their communication. Children play rhyming games and learn to match two words that sound the same, such as 'pig' and 'big'. However, staff do not have strong communication strategies in place to support younger children and those new to the setting. These children become frustrated, as staff do not always understand their wants and needs.
• The pre-school embraces other cultures and traditions. Staff find out about children's home backgrounds and what makes them unique. For example, children learn about Dashain, a Hindu festival celebrated in Nepal. Children learn about the kite-flying tradition and have a go at making kites for themselves.
• Staff plan exciting activities that capture children's attention. Children use a variety of herbs, such as parsley and basil, alongside equipment to make 'magic potions'. They enjoy smelling and tasting the herbs, discussing which foods have these ingredients, including pizza and bolognaise. Children learn new words, such as 'baster' and 'scientist', and use equipment such as lemon squeezers. However, staff do not always consider children's individual needs during large- group activities to help build on what they already know and can do.
• Partnerships with parents is effective. Parents comment that they enjoy spending the first 30 minutes of the session to play with their children and talk to staff about their development. They discuss how staff are supportive towards them as a family and share ideas of how to support their child's learning at home.
• The pre-school has formed positive links with professionals in the area, such as local schools and other educational settings that children attend. Staff ensure that children become familiar with the new adults, by inviting school staff and childminders into the pre-school to share their knowledge of individual children, for example. This helps to provide a consistent approach to children's learning and development.
• Staff evaluate their practice well and identify areas to develop that will benefit children. They attend frequent training, such as on oral hygiene and how to help children process grief. This helps to support children's health and emotional well-being.
• Children enjoy imaginative play. They like to dress up in a variety of costumes and pretend to be fictional characters. Staff use old cardboard boxes and turn them into imaginary play spaces, such as a 'police tardis'. Children enjoy hiding inside, giving them a quiet space to reflect.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help younger children and those new to the setting to express and communicate their needs more effectively
• implement large-group activities more effectively to ensure that all children can build on what they already know and can do.