Little Alpacas Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are developing a keen interest in the natural world. They enjoy going on daily walks around the farm, where the pre-school is located, to see the different animals and insects. Staff encourage the children to share what they know about the animals and insects that they encounter. Children confidently recall the names of the animals. They know what different animals like to eat, that chickens lay eggs and that ants have six legs.

Staff introduce new information to the children. They watch as a farm worker sprays a donkey's ears. Staff explain to the children that the donkey is having fly spray put on to keep the flies away. The children later see a horse that has a lot of flies around it. They comment that the horse is shaking its head and flicking its tail to keep the flies away. The children recall that there is a special spray that could help the horse. While on walks, the staff encourage the children to remember the rules that are in place to help keep them safe on the farm. Children understand that they need to listen to, and follow, instructions. They need to hold hands and stay in between the staff in case they come across farm vehicles or farm staff moving a herd of animals while on their walks.

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

• Staff get to know the children in their care well. They use information gained from parents, and from observations of children, to find out children's individual development and interests. They include children's interests to plan for their next steps in learning. Staff have a clear vision for what they want children to learn from the curriculum. They focus on supporting children to have the skills they need for the next stage in their learning, including their eventual move to school.
• Parents say that their children enjoy attending the pre-school. They value the friendly staff and say that they are confident that their children are happy, safe and well cared for. Parents comment that they are very well informed about the time their child spends at the pre-school and how their child is developing. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to provide targeted support that helps individual children make progress.
• Staff are consistent in using praise and encouragement to effectively support children's good behaviour. They recognise that some children struggle to regulate their emotions. Staff speak to children with respect and encourage them to express how they are feeling. With support, children learn how to resolve conflict and recognise the impact that their behaviour may have on others.
• Staff comment that they enjoy working at the pre-school. They have regular supervision and receive feedback on their practice. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that all staff employed to work with children are suitable to do so. However, the current arrangements for the induction of new staff are not sufficient enough to ensure that they fully understand their role and responsibilities.
• Overall, staff promote children's communication and language well. They ask children questions to gain information about children's prior knowledge and understanding. Children are keen to share their knowledge and experiences with staff. However, staff do not maximise opportunities that arise during their interactions with children to extend children's communication skills further. When children do not respond to questions asked of them, staff do not consistently provide the children with the answer.
• Staff support children to develop good hygiene practices. They explain to children why they need to wash their hands after petting animals. Children concentrate and focus well as they clean dirt off pictures of teeth using toothpaste and a toothbrush. Staff talk to children about the importance of oral hygiene and why they need to brush their teeth.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their creative skills. Children explore the texture of paint with their hands. They make marks with their fingers on the paper and use toy dinosaurs and cars to create different marks and patterns with the paint. As the children paint, they practise the control that they will eventually need for early writing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the induction arrangements to ensure that staff that are new to the pre-school understand their roles and responsibilities
• engage children more effectively in conversations and extend their communication and language skills further.