Little Fishes @ St Peters

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy the time they spend at the preschool. They form secure relationships with the kind, caring and nurturing staff, who know them well. They display a strong sense of belonging and demonstrate that they feel happy and settled. Staff are attentive and respond warmly to children's individual needs. For example, they provide them with cuddles when needed and reassurance and praise throughout the day. Children show high levels of emotional well-being and a positive attitude to learning. They explore the activities with energy and fascination and are keen to explore different ways of doing things.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. Leaders and their enthusiastic team are committed to their roles and responsibilities. They plan a sequenced and ambitious curriculum, based on children's individual needs. Regular assessments on children's learning, enables staff to quickly identify any emerging gaps and put timely interventions into place. They work successfully with other professionals involved in children's care and have high expectations for what all children can achieve. Children successfully develop the knowledge and skills they need for the future. For example, they complete tasks independently, listen with interest to familiar stories, play harmoniously together and show high levels and respect and tolerance for others.

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

• The driven leaders and staff use evaluation well. They have a clear vision and work hard to make continuous improvements to the curriculum and quality of teaching. Staff comment on the support they receive from leaders and are happy within their roles.
• Staff support children to develop their mathematical skills well. They plan activities that enable children to explore different mathematical concepts, such as counting and comparing size and capacity. Children eagerly count and use numbers during their everyday activities and demonstrate a good knowledge of measurement. For instance, when building a tower, they know that the more bricks they add the taller the tower will become.
• On the whole, staff support children's communication and language well. During most activities, they talk to children, ask them questions and listen to their responses. They read stories with expression and children listen attentively and predict what might happen next. However, occasionally during large group activities younger children struggle to focus and some get up and move around. During these times their listening and attention skills are not as well supported.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and conduct. They act as positive role models and set clear rules and boundaries. Staff interact effectively with children to help them to resolve minor disagreements. For example, when children struggle to share, staff suggest they work together to achieve the outcome. They reinforce this by praising the children. These positive interactions help children to learn how to manage their feelings and behaviour and consider how these impact on others.
• Staff successfully support children to lead healthy lifestyles. They talk to children about the importance of making healthy food choices and oral health. Children develop good table manners as they sit together and independently pour their drinks from jugs. Children of all ages enjoy playing in the well-resourced garden. Staff promote children's physical development well. For example, they encourage children to use apparatus and ride bicycles to help them to develop their skills in balance and coordination.
• Overall teaching is good. Staff use effective strategies to help children to develop new knowledge and skills. For example, through explaining, demonstrating and questioning. However, during some activities staff do not always notice when younger children need support to join in. This means occasionally, these children do not fully benefit from the learning opportunities available to them.
• Staff build good relationships with parents. They provide an inclusive environment where all children and their families are welcomed. Staff ensure that parents are kept up to date about children's ongoing care and the progress they make. Parents comment positively about the quality of the care and education the children receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the arrangements for large group activities, to ensure that all children are able to focus and concentrate during the sessions
• support staff to help them to notice when quieter and less confident children need support to join in with activities.