Little Explorers Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy spending time at this caring and nurturing setting. They arrive excited to explore the range of interesting activities available. Staff create a broad and a balanced curriculum for all children. Staff have a firm understanding of the prior experiences children arrive at this setting with and use them to build upon what children already know and can do. Children's physical development is prioritised. Staff ensure children have lots of opportunities to be physically active. For instance, children ride around the outdoor area on tricycles and set up their own obstacle courses. Children smile with pride as they build up their courage to jump off low level wooden planks. These opportunities help to develop children's larger muscle movements.

Staff create caring bonds with children and they stay close by to those children that may need reassurance. They support children's emotional development well and teach them about their own feelings. Staff use puppets to act out situations that have occurred to help them recognise how their actions may have made their friends feel. Children are learning how to regulate their own emotions. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress in their learning from their starting points.

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

• Staff know children well. They have a good understanding of children's individual needs and where they are up to in their development. Staff plan appropriate next steps in their learning and provide parents with ideas for how they can carry on children's learning at home. This helps to provide continuity in children's development.
• Overall, the curriculum for communication and language is implemented well. Staff introduce children to new vocabulary as they are playing together and they encourage children to repeat words back to them. However, staff do not always provide children with enough time to join in with discussions or to process information so they can answer questions.
• Staff are positive role models. For instance, they provide children with plenty of praise and encouragement. This helps to develop children's self-esteem. Overall, children demonstrate positive attitudes to their play. However, at times, routines are not consistent and children are not supported to understand staff expectations, such as when children are helping to tidy up.
• Diversity is promoted well. Staff learn key words in children's home languages and use them in the setting to support children's understanding. They find out about children's different cultures and incorporate them into the setting. Children learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others.
• Children with SEND are supported well. Staff work collaboratively with parents and other professionals. For instance, they support parents by accompanying them on visits to specialist settings. Staff invite teachers from schools children will be transitioning to into their setting and update them about children's needs and development. This collaborative working helps to ensure all children's needs are met.
• Healthy lifestyles are promoted well. Staff talk to children about foods that are good for their bodies and where food comes from. They provide children with nutritious snacks and healthy drinks. Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active. This helps children learn about healthy life choices.
• Leaders complete regular supervisions and observations with the staff team. They provide staff with targets that they can work on to further develop their knowledge and skills. Staff comment on how leaders prioritise their well-being and how valued they feel as part of the staff team.
• Children's growing independence is supported well. Staff teach children how to wash their hands and to serve their own food during snack time. Children practise pouring water into their bowls as they make their own play dough. These opportunities help children to gain important life skills.
• The curriculum for mathematical development is implemented well. Staff introduce the words 'more' and 'less' to children as they scoop and spread shaving foam onto the bricks. They support children to count out how many moulds they have made in the sandpit. This helps to develop children's early counting skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to embed routines and help children to understand staff's high expectations
• provide children with enough time to process information so that they can join in with discussions and answer questions.