Little Gems Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have made positive changes. They have reflected on the way they plan and put in place the curriculum. Older and younger children now have their own play areas. Staff provide a good selection of toys and resources to meet learning needs well.

Younger children enjoy playing with toy figures from favourite books and television series. They make the family of pigs go up and down the toy slide or head off for a drive in the toy car. Then they get the figures to return home to the toy house for a rest and sleep.

Older children play races with toy vehicles. They use cardboard boxes to create a ramp from the table to the floor. Working together they realise that they can open the box to make a tunnel as well. Children share and take turns well as they play. They try out different vehicles to see which one moves faster. They celebrate with 'high fives' when their car wins the race.

Children investigate and experiment as they play. Staff provide a variety of activities and natural materials for children to explore. Children concentrate well. They work out that they need to add water to the dry sand to make it 'sticky' so they can create sandcastles. Children are making good progress and developing well.

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

• Staff know children well. They include things they know interest the children to help engage them in learning. When they notice children need extra support and help, they act quickly. Staff talk with parents and other professionals. They put in place interventions to help children develop well. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress.
• Younger children develop mathematical and physical skills as they play. They use rolling pins and their hands to shape dough. Staff encourage children to think and express their ideas. Children say that they are making pizzas. They create a flat shape then add small balls of 'peas'. Staff ask children to count how many 'peas' they have. They get children to work out that they need two more to make six, if they already have four.
• Older children use their imaginations. They create the 'bridge' from the story about the three billy goats, using a piece of cardboard placed over a chair. Children take turns pretending to be the troll under the bridge. Others 'trip trap' across the bridge pretending to be the billy goats. They share the book and retell the story to each other and staff. For the most part, staff interact well with the children. On occasion, staff are busy with a small group and miss when they could help extend other children's learning.
• Children concentrate well. They keep on trying even when they encounter problems. For example, children try different ways to fix cardboard tubes onto a box to make the legs for their 'cat'. They work out how to use the tape to do this. They seek help from staff to make a 'head' for their cat. Children confidently use scissors to cut out a round shape that they then stick onto the box 'body'. They smile proudly when staff praise them for their efforts.
• Staff try to help children manage changes in the routine. For example, they ring a bell to let children know that it is time to put the toys away before snack. However, some children are reluctant to stop playing and staff do not encourage them as well as they could to help.
• Children develop self-care skills. They pour their own drinks and cut their food. Staff remind them about being careful when using the knife. Children learn how to use tools safely. They talk with staff about healthy food choices and how the food gives them energy.
• Parents say that staff share plenty of information with them about their children. Staff ask about children's home life and use this information to support activities in the nursery. Staff include family celebrations and home languages in their planning for learning. Children use different languages in songs and rhymes. They are learning about what makes them unique, as well as about the wider community.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide clearer messages to help children understand the importance of caring for resources and their play spaces
• continue to improve the way staff interact with children during activities to build on children's learning and development.