Little Angels Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive the best possible start in their education in this exceptional setting. Their behaviour is exemplary as they play and fully immerse themselves in this inspiring environment. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring in a variety of inviting spaces. Outdoor areas promote children's physical development. Children delight as they play sack races with their peers and cheer as they jump across the finish line. Children enjoy sensory experiences as they mix foam and paint together; they notice the marks they make with their fingers as staff guide them to make circles.

Children are extremely familiar with routines. Staff ensure that transitions throughout the day are seamless, for example, they sing a five-minute warning song for children to prepare to tidy up. This helps children fully understand the expectations of them and ensures that they feel exceptionally safe and secure.

The environment is skilfully designed to motivate the development of children's language and literacy. Children enjoy sharing stories. They listen attentively and respond to familiar stories about a caterpillar as they use props to tell the story. Staff introduce new language to children, such as 'cocoon', as they learn the life cycle of the butterfly. All children make rapid progress in their learning and development.

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

• Leaders have a highly ambitious and deeply embedded curriculum. The staff team have a comprehensive understanding of how children learn. They use extensive assessment to identify and build on the learning needs of the children. Leaders and staff show complete dedication to ensuring that children receive the highest quality teaching. They deliver a wide range of experiences to excel children's learning and development.
• The setting provides a highly inclusive approach. Staff welcome a wide range of different communities. They go above and beyond to work closely with families to ensure that they are fully supported. Children understand and experience different cultures as they celebrate various festivals. Staff promote respect for different people and children have a deep understanding of what makes them unique.
• Exceptional support is provided for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders ensure that funding is sharply focused, and interventions are well considered and detailed to support the needs of the children. The dedicated special educational needs and disabilities coordinator works cohesively alongside an extensive range of other professionals to ensure that families receive excellent support.
• Children who speak English as an additional language make extremely good progress. Staff provide children with excellent individualised support, such as small communication groups. Staff use visual cue cards to fully support children and help with their understanding.
• Staff skilfully provide opportunities for children to extend their mathematical knowledge. Children independently find magnetic numbers and identify which number it is. Children develop their understanding of size as staff challenge them to build a smaller sandcastle, comparing it to bigger ones. As a result, children are fully immersed in their learning, and their understanding of mathematics is continually developed.
• Children are well prepared for their transition to school. Staff develop robust working relationships with the schools children move on to. They share important information with teachers, including behaviour management strategies. Children and staff visit schools to help them prepare for the move. As a result, children's transitions to school are seamless.
• Parents speak extremely highly of the setting. Staff provide parents with a wealth of guidance to support children's continued learning at home. For example, families take home activity packs and library books. Parents have access to webinars to support their children's development. They attend parent consultations to keep up to date with their children's progress. Parents comment on the outstanding support that staff provide to the whole family.
• Staff are given significant opportunities to develop their roles and responsibilities. They receive highly focused professional development, which enables them to have a huge impact on children's learning. It also helps to ensure that the quality of teaching remains at the highest level. Leaders listen to what staff have to say and use this to continually improve the setting. Staff are enthusiastic, committed and exceedingly proud to be part of this highly effective team.