Little Acorns Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy the time they spend at this bright and inviting pre-school. They are motivated to learn and eager to explore the well-resourced indoor and outdoor learning environments. Children are familiar with the daily routine. They self-register on arrival and enthusiastically greet their peers. Children excitedly move their bodies to music as they engage in a 'wake and shake' activity with staff. They stretch their arms, twirl and jump to the music.

Children develop secure attachments with their key person and all staff who care for them. They display good social skills and caring early friendships. Children seek out their friends throughout the day. They share interests and clearly enjoy each other's company.

Children learn about the world and living things as they hunt for insects in the garden. They take an interest in literacy. Children relax and lie back in the 'story boat', looking at books and discussing the illustrations with each other. Children develop a sense of responsibility. They take on roles, such as the 'daily helper', and choose a friend to assist them with tasks. Staff support children to complete a daily risk assessment checklist. Children tick the list to say they have checked the outdoor area for litter and checked that the gates are secure. This helps children to develop their understanding of keeping themselves safe.

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

• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well. The manager works closely with parents and external professionals to make sure that children receive consistent levels of support to help them to make the best possible progress. The manager ensures that additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is used appropriately to best support the children who receive it.
• All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are confident communicators. Staff are effective role models and speak clearly to children. They ask them questions that give children time to think and respond. This helps to develop their conversational skills. Key persons learn key words in children's home language to support children's understanding at the pre-school. The manager effectively communicates with parents who do not speak English as their first language. She introduces them to other parents who speak the same language as them. This promotes a community ethos and helps parents to feel included and valued.
• Staff get to know their key children well. They make regular observations and assessments to identify children's interests, as well as areas for development. Staff plan the curriculum with children's interests in mind. However, staff do not always use their knowledge of children's individual learning needs to target their teaching and support children to make the best possible progress in their learning and development.
• Children freely access the outdoor learning environment. They benefit from opportunities to develop their agility and core strength. Staff support children to swing and balance on equipment. However, staff do not provide enough opportunities for children to engage in more-energetic physical activities to promote their physical development and good health even further.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the pre-school. Parent feedback is incredibly positive. They feel well informed about their children's learning and are supported to continue children's learning at home. Parents comment on how their children love the staff and how much they enjoy attending. They state that at the weekend, children proudly teach their family the pre-school's sign of the week. Parents also see the impact of their children's experiences at the pre-school in their behaviours at home. For example, they state that children are keen to help to prepare food at home as they are used to doing this at the pre-school.
• The manager and staff share mutual feelings of gratitude and value for each other. The manager observes staff's practice and meets with them regularly to complete supervisions and identify any training needs. Staff appreciate the supportive nature of the manager. They regularly attend training and recently updated their knowledge and skills to promote the provision of mathematics across the pre-school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to use their knowledge of children's individual learning needs and adopt a more-focused approach to their teaching to support children to make even better progress in their learning and development
• consider further ways to promote children's engagement in more-energetic physical activities to fully promote their physical development and good health.