Little Acorns Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and settle quickly in the pre-school. Staff provide a welcoming and secure environment, where children feel safe and valued. They are kind and encouraging, helping children to develop high levels of self-confidence and positive attitudes to learning. Children enjoy a wide range of exploratory play opportunities. For example, they explore ice they find in the garden and use tools to scrape and break it up. Staff consider the learning environment to support children's access to resources. As a result, children confidently access tools and equipment independently to support their learning. Children are curious and staff support their investigations by allowing them to test out their ideas. For instance, children fill containers with water and other materials. They make predictions about what will happen to them when left overnight in the cold weather.

Children form close and affectionate bonds with staff. They actively seek them out to join in with their games and enjoy their playful interactions. This helps to support children to remain engaged in activities. Children behave well and follow the good example set by staff, who use gentle reminders to reinforce behavioural expectations. Staff are nurturing in their approach to children's emotional well-being. This helps to support a calm environment where children are friendly, polite and enjoy being helpful.

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

• Staff have good knowledge of their key children. They understand what children need to learn next. Staff gather information from observations to inform their planning. Children's next steps are shared among the staff team. This allows all staff to consistently support children's learning through repetition in a range of rich experiences. This helps children to make good progress in their learning and development.
• Communication and language are a strong focus in the pre-school. Staff talk to children as they play and get down to their level. They ask questions that engage children's thinking and encourage them to share their ideas. Children enjoy listening to well-read stories and engage in various action songs throughout the day. Staff comment on children's play, using words such as 'crinkly', 'cracking' and 'floating', while children explore materials in water. This helps to promote their emerging speech and widen their vocabulary.
• Staff promote children's good health. They encourage healthy eating as children grow vegetables from seed and harvest them for snack. Staff plan the outdoor area well to develop and challenge children's physical skills. They learn to balance and negotiate the outdoor space with wheeled toys. Staff position themselves close by so that children are safe to explore their capabilities as they access larger climbing apparatus.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by staff. They work closely with other professionals. Staff access training and implement targeted support for children who require additional help with their development. They incorporate strategies such as picture cards, visual prompts and small-group activities to develop children's ability to focus for longer periods of time. This helps to ensure children make the best possible progress.
• Staff support children in their independence. For example, children learn to manage tasks for themselves, such as putting on their coats and fastening zips. They take responsibility for preparing their snack and clearing away their dishes. Children learn to manage their personal care needs, such as washing their hands prior to eating and following messy play.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff gather detailed information from parents, including routines and toy preferences to help children as they first transition into the pre-school. Parents comment that staff are friendly and caring and describe the pre-school as 'homely'. Staff encourage parents to be involved in their children's learning. They welcome visits from parents to share their hobbies and expertise with the children.
• Staff work well together. The manager values her staff team and provides regular opportunity to discuss the provision and ways to improve practice. Staff have regular opportunities for training. However, the leadership team has not yet established a highly effective method to help all staff develop a deeper knowledge of teaching and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the already good practice and seek further ways to help all staff develop first-rate teaching skills.