Kiddiwinks Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted by kind and nurturing staff, and they feel settled when they arrive at this warm and friendly setting. They enter with confidence and know the routines, which have been well embedded. As soon as children arrive, they settle down to play seamlessly due to the well-planned environment, which meets their needs and inspires their interests.

There is a strong focus on developing children's communication, supporting their resilience and their personal, social and emotional development. All staff understand the curriculum and know how to guide and support children's learning. This helps children to acquire positive attitudes towards their education, as they become inquisitive learners. For example, books are embedded throughout the environment. Children have developed a love of stories and regularly approach staff to read their favourites. They know that they can use books to find out more information.

Staff manage children's behaviour effectively. They provide children with clear boundaries. This is further supported by staff understanding why behaviours may occur. For instance, they have recognised that children enjoy throwing and climbing. They have created a safe space for children to practise these skills and interests to keep themselves and others safe. Furthermore, simple visual prompts are used effectively to support children in making the right choices.

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

• Staff think carefully about how they put the curriculum into action, and they create experiences for children based on their next steps in learning. For example, staff provide large-scale creative activities, which encourage children to use and refine their gross motor skills. Children show full independence over activities, selecting the resources that they need with ease. They show control over pouring paints into containers. These skills have been developed and embedded over time.
• The environments, indoors and outside, promote children's development across the seven areas of learning. Outside, children show an eagerness to access the well-resourced space. They engage positively in physical activities. For example, they work collaboratively in the mud kitchen to fill containers and experiment with their ideas. Inside, children explore sensory trays with play dough, make 'birthday cakes' and explore size and quantity.
• The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is well embedded. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has a passion for her role. She ensures that children are monitored and that referrals are put into place quickly. She works alongside the children's key person, parents and carers to ensure that next steps and plans are meeting the needs of each individual child. All children are making good progress from their starting points.
• The setting has excellent links with the local community. Staff take time to get to know the children and their extended family. They know the need of the local area impeccably well. For example, staff educate children on the importance of oral hygiene. Each morning when children arrive, they place a bristle in the toothbrush if they have brushed their teeth that morning. This encourages conversations about the importance of oral hygiene and looking after their bodies. Due to the success of this initiative, the setting has shared and modelled this to other local settings.
• Developing children's understanding of healthy lifestyles is a key focus for leaders. They have recently achieved an award, working alongside parents to support children in understanding the importance of a healthy diet. For instance, the staff hold regular cooking sessions with parents to teach them about diet and portion control. Parents praise the cooking classes and have commented on how this has helped them cook healthy meals on a budget at home.
• The pre-school has an effective key-person system, and parents are aware of who their child's key person is. Staff understand their role in supporting children and developing relationships with them. However, the arrangements when key people are absent does not always support children in having their individual needs met by an adult who they have a secure relationship with.
• The manager has ambition and strives to deliver the very best outcomes for children. A range of views from parents and other professionals support leaders to consider improvements. Regular room and peer observations are carried out, which then lead into professional development opportunities for staff. Staff feel supported in their roles and feel that their well-being is a priority.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the arrangements for supporting children's individual needs and helping them build secure relationships when their key person is absent.