Lincoln Hall Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have a variety of learning opportunities to choose from at the pre-school. The manager and staff have developed a curriculum that is designed to meet the needs of all children who attend the setting. They have a good knowledge of the children in the pre-school, including children who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps them to ensure that learning opportunities are inclusive for all children.

Staff are warm and welcoming. They sit with the children and engage them in conversation. This contributes to children exploring their learning environments with confidence. Children become curious and independent learners.

The manager recognises the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's personal, social and emotional development. Consequently, supporting children in this area is the focus of the pre-school. Staff prioritise key skills, such as settling into new environments, becoming independent, and playing cooperatively. They are sensitive to any changes in children's behaviour and attitudes, and support their emotional well-being. Staff give children plenty of praise and encouragement, to boost their self-esteem. This motivates children to learn and play together well.

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

• The manager has a thorough understanding of the local community and this helps her to support the needs of the children in the setting. The team's effective partnership with parents and other professionals supports children with SEND and who speak English as an additional language. For example, the manager has developed workshops for parents to help their children in their learning at home. This supports children's long-term education.
• The manager values her staff and is supporting their self-esteem and practice. Staff access professional development opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills with individual targets. However, there are minor gaps in some aspects of staff practice, which slightly impact on children's learning experiences.
• Overall, children experience a learning environment that encourages them to explore and play. However, at times, staff do not organise resources effectively to fully support children's learning and independence further. For instance, children need to wait for staff to offer additional resources, such as scoops. Children cannot independently access resources in order to further extend their learning.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They make good use of opportunities to interact alongside children and encourage children to communicate. For example, when children play with the ice and water activity, staff introduce new words, such as 'melting'. Staff give children time to respond. Children are gaining skills to support their understanding.
• Children enjoy the stories that are read to them. Staff bring stories alive with props and puppets, to help children to engage in story time. Children listen carefully to the stories and comment on the characters. Staff encourage children to predict what might happen at the end of stories. This helps children to develop a love of books, and early reading skills.
• Staff promote children's development of healthy lifestyles well. Children learn about personal hygiene procedures, such as handwashing. They also have daily opportunities to spend time outside in the garden. Staff ensure that they plan experiences to benefit children's large- and small-muscle skills.
• Staff plan group activities where children can build on their interests. For example, during a threading activity, children were confident to have a go and preserved when it was challenging for them. Some children were learning from their peers and others confidently approached staff for support. Children build positive relationships with each other.
• Staff work in partnership with parents. They gather information from them during settling-in sessions. Staff use this information to plan activities to meet the needs of the children. The ongoing monitoring of children's abilities enables staff to identify quickly where there could be potential gaps in children's learning.
• Parents are happy with the care that their children receive. Staff complete observations and assessments and share these with parents. Parents receive information to support their children's learning at home.