Little Fishes Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and they smile as they leave their parents and enter the pre-school. Children hang up their belongings confidently. Children approach visitors and share their views with them. They talk about having their own friends and what they like to play with. Children engage for prolonged periods of time within adult-planned activities and their own play. Children share the resources with one another. They swap tools they are using to make different marks on their paper and say, 'I'm making rainbow fireworks.'

Children behave well and know what is expected of them. They are reminded promptly by staff of how to behave when needed. At group time, children talk about the pre-school rules with staff. Children show actions, wiggling their fingers, as they hold their hands up to explain kind hands. Children understand the pre-school routines, for example when children are told they are going outside, they get their coats, high visibility jackets and put their shoes on. They wait patiently in a line, until staff guide them safely onto the field or park.

Children respect one another and work together. In the sand pit, children use large bricks to build. They add bricks one at a time and take it in turns. 'I found another brick,' they say, handing them over to add to the tower.

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

• Staff and managers understand child development and know what they want children to learn. They use this knowledge to plan their environment to benefit all children. Staff and managers plan experiences that children may not get elsewhere. For example, children visit local libraries and farm parks. The pre-school arranges for the local fire and ambulance service staff to visit with their vehicles, which children can explore.
• Children's communication and language is developed by staff. Staff sing, use signs and actions, read stories, comment, ask questions, and introduce children to new vocabulary. Children eagerly use new vocabulary that staff introduce them to, and talk about their pictures of the dragons they have drawn for Chinese New Year.
• Staff encourage children to be imaginative. As children play in the pretend kitchen, staff interact with them and extend their ideas. Children place dolls in chairs and sit at the table. They pretend to feed the dolls and give them a drink. Staff copy the actions and ask for different food items. Children understand and go to the kitchen, and return with cups and plates of pretend food for staff.
• Children develop their understanding of mathematical language. Staff talk about the days of the week and what comes first. When staff talk about the number of items in a group, they point to their fingers, demonstrating one-to-one correspondence as they count with the children.
• Children are supported to become independent. Staff encourage children to wash their hands before snacks. Children find their name card and hang it on the peg where they have chosen to put their belongings. Older children put their own aprons on to paint, and younger children are supported through instructions to put their own apron on.
• Parents are happy with the setting and say that they would recommend it to other families. They add that they feel supported and can speak with any of the approachable staff. Parents tell the inspector that the staff communicate with them about their child's day. For example, they know how their children have been and what they have eaten. However, parents are not aware of what their children are working towards next in their learning.
• Staff feel well supported by their managers and feel they can speak with them about work-related and personal issues if necessary. Managers have processes in place to provide feedback to staff. However, these processes are not as effective as they could be. Staff are not clear about what they need to do to improve their practice, for example to develop their interactions with the children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop communication with parents further, so they are aware of children's next steps in learning, to support them to extend children's learning at home
• develop processes to identify clear targets for all staff to raise the quality of staff interactions with children further.