Little Crickets Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff plan the environment well, so that children arrive eager to take part in the exciting activities. For example, they are inquisitive to explore pumpkins. They enjoy finding the seeds and flesh inside, using different tools to scoop them out. Staff skilfully enable children to lead their learning, so they think critically, concentrate and become engrossed in their new knowledge and skills. For example, staff provide water, and this soon becomes an exciting discovery of which items will sink or float. Staff challenge children further, to make predictions and test their ideas.

Staff plan sensory experiences for young children, such as exploring paint, and they make good use of impromptu situations. For example, when staff help babies to wash their hands, their fascination with bubbly water becomes a way to support their prime areas of development.

Children make independent choices from the well-organised resources. For example, they learn to construct and solve problems as they set up a roadway. Children enjoy their self-chosen activities, such as mixing colours. Staff motivate them through discussions and using books to help them to recall previous learning. For example, older children remember that they need blue and yellow to make green and know which colours they mixed when they painted their pumpkins orange.

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

• The management team works directly with staff and children, providing good role models. They help staff to evaluate the quality of their practice and have training to develop their skills. For example, staff have gained confidence in reading to children effectively, so that they engage fully. The manager and deputy work closely with parents to offer resources and to support their awareness of the importance of reading to children. They have extended their book area, which children enjoy using independently. Staff plan a 'book of the week' and children become very confident in remembering and acting out familiar stories.
• The manager intends for staff to provide a language-rich environment, and older children are confident communicators. For example, staff engage them in discussions, helping them to make links across their learning and extend their vocabulary. Children of all ages enjoy singing. The manager intends for staff in the baby room to role model language and respond to babies' babbling. They have had sign language training to aid communication with babies and children with special educational needs. However, sometimes, staff are not confident to implement this consistently and help young children to make even better progress.
• The strong key-person system enables staff to get to know the children well. They observe what children can do and have a good understanding of what they need to learn next. They now have a nursery garden, as well as the field, and staff plan some outdoor activities. For example, they extend the painting activity by using paper vertically to see what effect this has, and young children climb and use the slide with confidence. However, staff do not use all outdoor opportunities as effectively to support the youngest children's next stages of development.
• Staff take children on many outings, where they learn about their community and how to keep themselves safe, such as when by the canal. Daily routines enable children to develop some good practices to keep healthy, such as caring for their teeth and knowing which food and drink helps to build their muscles. Staff carry out good, hygienic nappy changing routines and use the opportunity well to engage young children and help them to feel emotionally secure.
• Children's behaviour is good. Staff provide good support for older children to understand their emotions and describe how they feel. The manager is the special educational needs coordinator and encourages staff well in using good strategies to support children effectively. For example, when young children start throwing balls from the pit, she suggests that they get the children out and help them to throw the balls back in.
• Parents are very positive about the provision, especially how well staff work in partnership with them. Parents comment on the excellent exchange of information, which enables staff to meet children's individual needs and helps parents to support learning at home. Parents confirm that their children have grown in confidence and independence since starting at the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus staff development on building their confidence in consistently implementing the curriculum intent for the youngest children's language skills
• support staff in ensuring that the planning for babies' next stages of development is implemented successfully outdoors, to help them make even better progress.