Lilliput Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted in a warm and friendly manner. Staff support them during transitions by offering a cuddle. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children behave well within the setting. Staff support this by reinforcing the setting's rules. They use phrases such as 'kind hands'. Children learn to use their manners. For example, they learn about manners during circle time. Staff encourage children to include each other in play. This supports children to learn to respect each other.

Children have opportunities to develop their physical skills, outside and indoors. In the garden, they drive large vehicles over raised platforms and extend this activity by balancing on the platforms themselves. They show enjoyment when climbing on the climbing frame and going down the slide. They drive the large cars around the garden. This supports them to learn to negotiate space. Indoors, children join in with 'wake up and shake', a large group dancing activity.

Staff support children to make progress. They implement the curriculum well, which supports all children to develop their skills. Children relish opportunities to develop their creative skills. Staff demonstrate how to stamp with different-sized bottles in a variety of coloured paint, and children then continue to independently complete this activity. They label the colours that they use and show enjoyment as they make marks on paper.

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

• The setting is strongly focused on developing children's communication and language skills. For example, staff will comment on children's play. This strategy gives children opportunities to expand on their vocabulary and enhance their conversational skills. Staff support children's understanding by using some simple signs alongside spoken language.
• Children make choices for themselves. During circle time, children choose which song they would like to sing. They independently choose to play indoors or outdoors. This supports children to be able to identify their preferences.
• Overall, adult-child interaction is good. For example, staff support children to learn about the natural world around them. They use magnifying glasses to look for snails and worms in the garden, and staff extend learning opportunities by talking about what insects might eat. However, interactions in the outdoor environment are not of a consistently high standard. This means that children are not fully supported to extend their learning when outdoors.
• Children have opportunities to develop their independence. For example, staff support children to put on their wellington boots and rain suits. Staff encourage children to try for themselves and offer help when needed. At snack time, children serve themselves. This supports children to develop their skills and achieve tasks for themselves.
• Children have some opportunities to develop their understanding of mathematics. Staff encourage children to count as they play with different-coloured bears and count balls in the garden. However, staff do not consistently support the more confident children to extend their knowledge and understanding of a wider range of mathematical concepts.
• Children enjoy talking about their home lives. They tell staff about trips to the doctors. Staff show an interest in what children are saying, which supports children to feel valued.
• All children are supported to develop to their full potential, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders are aware of the support that children require. They use recommendations from professionals, such as physiotherapists, in the pre-school. Staff plan using these recommendations to ensure that all children are given opportunities to develop and enhance their skills.
• Leaders reflect on practice. They can identify areas of strength as well as areas of improvement for the pre-school. They have an improvement plan in place that includes developing the garden area. Leaders are passionate about supporting staff's well-being. Staff express positive views of the support that is given to them.
• Parents have positive views of the setting. They expressed how they see their children develop and learn new skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the quality of interactions to further enhance children's learning when in the outdoor environment
• support staff's understanding of mathematical development to ensure that all children are sufficiently challenged in this area of the curriculum.