Little Gems Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff eagerly invite children into the warm and welcoming pre-school. Children arrive happy, confident and emotionally secure. They thrive from the routine that staff have created. Staff guide children to independently hang up their coats, find their name card and sit on the mat. Children wait patiently to hear what is planned for their day.

Staff take an interest in children's views and give them the time to express their feelings and emotions. They are great role models and have a calm and caring nature towards children. Consequently, children play together, respect one another and are happy to help their friends. For instance, older children carry out tasks that younger children need support with, such as writing their name and zipping up their coats. Children work together at tidy-up time and follow instructions that are given to them. This helps children learn positive behaviour. Staff share their ideas and have created a stimulating and inviting learning environment. They provide children with additional resources that help to spark their imagination and extend their ideas. Children demonstrate an eagerness to explore and learn more. This helps them to make good progress.

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

• Staff attend regular meetings, discuss what is working well and identify areas for future developments. They also attend additional training to develop their knowledge. They feel very well supported by the manager. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and have a shared vision. They demonstrate a great passion in providing the best learning experiences to help children make the best possible progress.
• Staff have created an ambitious curriculum that is focused on what they already know about children and what they want them to learn next. This is paired with staff's good knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop. For example, children practise their cutting skills, manipulate dough and hold different sized pens to draw on a small and large scale. This helps to strengthen children's fine motor skills. children display impressive pen control and coordination, which enhances their physical development.
• Staff interact well with children and are readily available to provide any support and guidance that is needed. However, this is less effective during some adult-led activities and group times. Occasionally, staff do not fully consider the organisation as well as they could. This results in some activities not suiting the differing needs and abilities of all the children involved.
• Staff provide parents with regular updates of their children's day via an electronic communication app and through brief daily chats. This informs parents of what things their children have been doing throughout the day. However, there is less consistency in providing parents with information about how they can further support their children's individual learning at home. This does not fully support children's continuity in learning, specifically with their next steps.
• Children benefit from spending time outdoors. They enjoy singing songs and moving their bodies in the spacious outdoor area. Staff provide children with bottles of bubbles and encourage them to blow and watch them float in the air. Furthermore, staff take children on adventures into the nearby woodland area. This helps to promote children's physical skills and exploration of nature.
• Children are aware of the importance of carrying out good hygiene procedures and being healthy. For example, they wash their hands before eating and access their own pack lunch. During mealtimes, staff sit with children and prompt them to eat healthy foods before treats. This promotes children's understanding of the benefits of making healthy food choices and leading a healthy lifestyle.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of adult-led activities and group times to ensure that they suit the different abilities and needs of all the children that are involved
• strengthen the good communication with parents so the information shared is more specific to children's individual needs to fully support their next steps and learning at home.