Little Elms Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Managers and educators have created a warm and welcoming environment for all children. Educators gather and use information from parents to develop strong relationships with children, from the child's first day and throughout their time at pre-school. Children are confident and happy throughout the day. Educators support children's emotions when needed. They talk to children about how they feel and offer strategies to support them to calm down when they are upset. For example, they model breathing in and out or offer a comforting cuddle, when needed.

Educators ensure they deliver the curriculum in a way that encourages children to be motivated and interested to explore further. This helps children to engage for prolonged periods and progress in their learning. Educators build children's resilience; from an early age they encourage children to keep trying when they face challenges. For example, when children try to reach items across the table, educators say, 'Keep reaching,' and praise them when they succeed.

Educators have established clear behavioural expectations and use praise to re-enforce these. This helps children to learn what is expected from a young age. Children are supported through changes in the daily routine and are confident in what they need to do next. For example, educators tell children when a new activity is going to start and explain what will happen next. This supports children to engage well in each part of the routine, with reminders from educators when needed.

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

• Educators have played an important role in establishing the well-sequenced curriculum throughout the pre-school. Educators and managers use their knowledge of child development and how children learn to highlight any gaps in learning quickly. They make sure that the activities they provide reflect children's interests and next steps; this helps children's ongoing engagement.
• Educators suggest ways in which children can be kind to each other and help build respect for one another, such as when a child is disappointed that they do not have a spade. Educators ask the other children how they can help. Another child decides that because they are using the spade they have, they will go and find one for the child who asked for one.
• Children are given a variety of experiences throughout the day to help develop their physical skills. Babies climb onto equipment confidently and slide down, supported by educators. Cars and bikes are available to push and ride around in for toddlers. This develops their gross motor skills. Pre-school children are given pencils, pens and other mark-making materials and are encouraged to draw and form letters on large pieces of paper. This helps to develop their fine motor skills.
• Children are confident to share their views of the pre-school with visitors. They say they enjoy playing with the sand, jigsaws and playing with their friends.
• Educators support children to develop independence. For example, babies are given their own spoon to use at mealtimes. Educators load the spoon with food and pass this to babies to begin their self-feeding skills. Toddlers use large serving utensils. Educators hold their hand when needed and help them scoop their own food onto their plates. Pre-school children use the water dispenser when they recognise they are thirsty to pour their own drinks. Educators also support children with other independence skills, including toileting and putting on and fastening their own coats and shoes.
• The manager has clear processes in place to support the well-being of the children, educators and families. Educators comment on the support they receive, for both work and personal issues, through supervisions. The manager develops the professional skills of educators, for example with how to make appropriate referrals for children and families who need support. Educators comment on how well the manager enables them to understand their role in relation to children, especially those with additional needs.
• Parents comment on the positive relationships that educators have with them and their children. They say that because educators know their children well, they feel their children have made significant and quick progress, exceeding their expectations, for example in their communication and independence skills. Parents add that this is through the varied experiences that educators provide, as well as visiting local woodlands and churches. Parents are clear about what their children's next steps are and know how to support these at home, through suggestions from pre-school.
• Educators engage with children across the setting; they get down to the children's level and maintain eye contact. They show genuine interest in what the children are looking at or doing. Educators mostly use these interactions to develop children's learning further. Quieter children happily play with what is available to them in the well-planned environment. However, they do not always benefit from the high-quality interactions with educators in the way that the more confident children do.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the consistency of staff's interactions with children, so that quieter children are supported to engage in high-quality interactions.