Lilliput Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, safe and secure in this calm and welcoming environment. They display warm and caring relationships with staff, as they happily engage in conversations about their family lives. Children are eager to explore and investigate their surroundings. For example, they roll, cut and press dough into textured moulds. They excitedly show visitors their creations and describe the textures as 'bumpy' and 'smooth'. Children enjoy exploring the well-planned outdoor environment. Staff teach them how to take appropriate risks as they climb ladders and support themselves with branches. Younger children are shown how to balance on stilts. They use them to travel through puddles and observe the prints they make.

Children behave well. They develop friendships with their peers and enjoy each other's company. For example, they call to friends to join them as they create 'meals' in the mud kitchen. Staff encourage good manners. As a result, children use 'please' and 'thank you' spontaneously in play.

Children enjoy healthy food choices. Staff provide 'tooth friendly' food for snack, such as sugar free carrot muffins and beans on toast. Every mealtime is a sociable event. Staff are playful and encourage discussion, as they deliberately describe the shape of toast incorrectly. Children laugh and giggle as they point out their 'mistakes'.

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

• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents speak highly about the quality of care and education their children receive. They describe staff as 'warm' and 'loving'. They comment on how happy their children are. Parents appreciate the support they receive from staff with ideas and strategies to try at home.
• The key-person system is effective. Children form strong relationships with staff who know them well. Children who are new to the setting receive regular reassurance from their key person and settle quickly. Consideration is given to staff deployment. For example, children sit with their key person at mealtimes to allow them to receive continuity in their care.
• Staff promote children's early literacy skills and children develop a love of books. They vote for their favourite stories and listen carefully as staff read with enthusiasm. Children are encouraged to interact and ask questions about the characters. They learn the difference between the author and the illustrator and can make predictions about the content of the story from the front cover.
• Children are given plenty of opportunities for outdoor play. They eagerly help staff in the garden with digging and raking. Staff carefully support children's understanding of how to use the equipment safely. Children are able to explore.
• For instance, they combine materials, such as leaves, water and bark in the mud kitchen. They enjoy digging in the wet sand, filling and emptying their buckets. This helps children develop concepts such as volume and weight.
• Staff carefully plan activities based on children's interests, so they are excited to learn. They focus on children becoming independent. For example, children independently access a dustpan and brush to sweep up spilt sand. They are shown strategies for hanging up their coats using hangers following outdoor play.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They interact well with the children and plan a range of activities to promote children's attention and speaking and listening skills. However, at times, the organisation of large-group activities means children are waiting for long periods. This impacts on children's involvement and learning due to the extended times taken to complete the activities.
• Children's behaviour is good. Staff act as positive role models and reward children with praise for acts of kindness. They provide gentle reminders, such as 'good listening' and 'good sitting' to reinforce behavioural expectations. They speak calmly and encourage children to take turns with equipment. Staff give children the language to describe their emotions. This helps children to understand their feelings.
• The manager evaluates the provision well. She provides staff with regular opportunities to discuss their workload and prioritises their well-being. Staff consistently state they feel valued and well supported.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the organisation of large-group activities, so that all children can engage in the planned learning.