Little Lambs Pre- School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted warmly by the manager. They initially spend time with their key person, exploring their choice of play. Children separate from parents with ease and settle well before mixing with the rest of the group. They call staff 'auntie' and 'uncle'. Parents say, 'the nursery is like a family'. Children make lovely friendships with staff and their peers. For example, children take it in turns to throw balls into a hoop. Staff oversee children's play. They encourage children to take their time and wait for their peers to finish their go. Children are confident to follow instructions. Their behaviour is good. Children are stimulated and engaged in their learning. They are always busy. Children vote for the games they wish to take part in. Together with staff, they count the votes to find out the winning game. Staff encourage all children to join in with planned activities. They introduce visual props to enhance good listening during group times. For example, 'Lola the listening leopard' supports younger children's understanding of the rules. Children learn good listening, and sitting. Children are confident to manage their own self-care routines. For example, they wash their hands before snack time and confidently put on their shoes after physical exercise. Children self-register their attendance to the snack table and make their hunger and thirst needs known. Staff serve children their snack. Children are extremely polite. They say 'please' and 'thank you'.

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

• The manager is extremely passionate about the service she provides. She is confident in identifying areas of priority and what staff have done to drive improvements for children. For example, the manager conducts regular staff meetings. Together, they identified concerns for communication, language and literacy. Therefore, the manager has invested in communication tools to benefit all children's needs, including those who speak English as an additional language.
• The manager has robust procedures to ensure that staff are deemed suitable to work with children. This includes making sure they have the skills they need to positively impact the children who attend. For example, the manager has employed a member of staff who has a wealth of experience in a specialist language unit. Her knowledge has positively upskilled staff and enhanced language outcomes for children.
• Parents are extremely happy. They say, 'the aunties go above and beyond'. Staff create a wealth of opportunities to communicate with parents, for example face to face, online and at parents' evenings. Parents know how to enhance their children's learning at home and the specific targets staff are working on with their children. Children make good progress from their starting points.
• Children benefit from staff who place a strong emphasis on planning a routine where children get fresh air and engage in regular physical exercise. Staff teach children to move safely and with control. For example, children engage in the 'traffic light' game where colours are signals to stop and start physical movements. Children are confident to move in a variety of ways. They develop good large-muscle skills.
• Children have a secure routine. Staff purposefully plan the day to meet the needs of all children, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, after physical exercise, children take part in a cool-down session before engaging in a story. This helps children to regulate their emotions. This means children are calm and ready to learn. When children are not developmentally ready for large amounts of sitting, staff carefully review their routine.
• Managers and staff have devised their own curriculum based on what children need to learn. They have researched what local schools do and liaised effectively with the local authority team to understand their curriculum for SEND. As a result, planning is highly comprehensive and designed to guide children's learning. However, how staff implement the planning is not always consistent. For example, at times, staff complete tasks for children to ensure they get the desired outcome rather than supporting children's independence and ideas. Furthermore, staff do not consistently seek to understand what children know. This can hinder children's developing vocabulary and understanding of the subjects taught.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review staff practice and involvement to ensure staff consistently promote children's independence skills during activities
• extend children's vocabulary and understanding through effective questioning to find out about children's ideas and what they know.