Litlington Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel safe and secure at this welcoming nursery. They form emotional attachments to staff, particularly their key persons, and enjoy their positive interactions. This helps to support children's emotional well-being and boosts their confidence. As children arrive, they find their names and place them onto the self-registration board. They are curious, and are excited by the activities that are available in the environment. They comment on a winter sensory tray, exploring shaving foam and different shaped ice cubes. Children giggle as they talk about which ones are cold and point this out to their peers.

Children have opportunities to develop their physical skills and enjoy spending time in the outdoor area. They confidently navigate the environment using ride-on toys to practice their skills of balance and movement. Children use spades and other tools in the sand to scoop and build different sculptures. Staff encourage children to look at the world around them. Children enthuse as they see a tractor in the field near their nursery garden. Staff skilfully engage children in conversation. They talk about farms and what the tractor might be doing. They help children to learn the names of different vegetables as they play with them in the 'home corner'.

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

• The manager and staff team are passionate about creating a sense of community within their pre-school. Parents feel secure in the knowledge that their children are safe and cared for. Staff offer an open-door policy and support for parents and families. This is reflected in the positive comments from parents. Staff communicate daily with parents and share information about where children are in their learning and the care they receive during the session.
• Staff make transitions on to school easy for children and parents. They arrange visits to local schools where children meet their teachers. In the last term before children attend school, adaptations are made to the routine in the pre-school. Staff encourage children to change into a PE kit to familiarise them with their new school routine. Staff provide support for parents to help them to make informed choices about which school is right for their child.
• Staff work in partnership with parents to support milestones such as toilet training. They support children with their personal needs. For example, children are appropriately dressed for the garden in colder weather. However, staff do not provide learning opportunities for children to develop their independence. Staff are quick to clean runny noses, help children put on their coats and shoes and pour their drinks at snack time. This means that children are missing essential opportunities to learn the self-care skills they will need when they start school.
• Staff promote a love of literature, providing opportunities for children to hear stories. Children are eager to hear a story about penguins during story time. Staff ask appropriate questions, encouraging children to give their own answers and opinions. Children choose books in the garden that support their learning outdoors. A lending library has been created by staff so that children can borrow books from the pre-school and read them at home with their families.
• Children learn mathematical words, such as 'left', 'right', 'above' and 'below', while they are making pretend snowflakes with glue and paper. Staff teach mathematics well to children during activities. Children enjoy all activities that are available for them. However, children's choices are sometimes limited, as they can only access resources that are set out for a specific end result. This means children are not able to lead their own play and make choices in their learning.
• Staff morale is high, and they speak about their passion for the future of the pre-school. They involve the community in lots of things that they do. They run social events where parents can attend the pre-school and spend time with their children's key person. They network with local childminders, who also care for some of the children, and ensure that relevant information about children's learning is shared effectively.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to learn how to look after their bodies and manage their personal needs independently
• allow more opportunities for children to lead their own play and develop their own ideas during planned activities.