Little Birch Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a very warm, nurturing, and friendly welcome when they arrive. They respond positively to staff and learn in a happy, and safe place. There is a wide range of activities available for the children, which motivates them to learn. For instance, younger children show good concentration as they use small and large cutters in dough and add sticks as candles for a birthday cake. Older children enjoy playing matching games. They read out shopping lists to their friends, who help to find the correct pictures to place onto their lists.

Children are beginning to manage their own feelings and behaviours and are starting to understand how these have an impact on others. When children struggle with regulating their behaviour, staff support them. For example, staff encourage children to share and to be kind to their friends. Children are developing a sense of right and wrong.

The manager maintains a safe, secure, and clean environment for the children. She has introduced new routines, due to the COVID-19) pandemic. This means that parents no longer come into the pre-school itself. Despite this, children are confident to leave their parents at the door. They know that they need to wash their hands at regular times during their day to support good hygiene practice.

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

• Staff observe children and make accurate assessments of their development across the areas of learning. They provide activities around children's interests. However, sometimes, staff do not focus on what it is they want children to learn from these experiences. They work to very broad learning intentions, which are not linked precisely enough to what the children need to learn next. This means that children gain limited new knowledge from the activities.
• Staff are aware of those children who speak English as an additional language. They make good use of information from parents to support children's understanding of English, alongside their own home language. Staff plan large-group times to engage and enable all children to fully participate. For instance, children decide which language to use to sing hello to each other at circle time.
• Additional funding is used well to enhance and enrich children's experiences. Staff use additional funding to address gaps in children's learning. For example, staff introduce resources to children that focus on poems to extend children's language skills.
• Staff quickly identify if children need additional support in their learning. They make timely referrals to outside professionals, such as for speech and language therapy. The most vulnerable children get the support they need. Staff work closely with parents and professionals involved to support children consistently.
• Children are becoming increasingly independent. For instance, staff support younger children to wash their hands and feed themselves independently. Older children learn the importance of tidying up and become independent at putting on and taking off their coats. This helps to prepare children well for their eventual move to school.
• Children are developing a positive attitude to leading a healthy lifestyle. Staff discuss healthy eating with children during snack times and lunchtimes. Children enjoy healthy snacks, and parents provide a packed lunch for their children. Staff support parents in promoting healthy eating, further supporting children's knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy.
• Children have plenty of opportunities to engage in physical exercise. They play in a large playground, located within the school grounds. Staff deliver activities to support children's physical abilities. For example, children work on their hula hoop technique or ride a scooter with care.
• The manager is proactive and keen to drive improvement. However, systems for performance management do not provide the manager with in-depth evaluations of staff practice. Staff are not provided with the highly focused support that they need to help extend their teaching skills to the highest level.
• Parents are very complimentary about the service on offer. They are fully involved in their children's learning. Parents appreciate the opportunities to discuss children's education, for instance through parent's evening. These successful partnerships help parents to support their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• communicate clearly with staff the learning intentions for children, to focus teaching more sharply on extending children's learning
• monitor staff and evaluate their practice more precisely to build and extend their teaching skills to the highest level.