Little Love Lane Pre-School and Nursery CIC

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff give children a warm welcome as they happily arrive at the setting. Children confidently leave their parents and settle quickly, engaging in activities with their friends. Staff know the children well and develop secure and nurturing relationships with them. They recognise each child's unique personality and the additional support that some children need, such as comfort and cuddles to help them to settle. This supports children's emotional development and well-being.

Leaders and staff plan a range of activities to promote children's communication and language development. For example, children enjoy singing familiar songs and listening to familiar stories throughout the setting. Staff engage children in meaningful conversations, asking questions to encourage discussion and a deeper level of understanding. For instance, older children take part in sensory activities, where they learn how to use words to describe what they are seeing, feeling and smelling. Staff use additional ways to support children's communication, such as sign language and picture symbols. Children's language skills flourish as they become confident communicators.

Leaders and staff help children to develop their understanding of how to behave appropriately from a young age. They give children lots of praise and encouragement, which helps to build their self-confidence. Staff encourage children to take turns, use good manners and be kind to each other. For example, children welcome their friends to join in their play, as they share and create potions in the mud kitchen together.

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

• The provider is passionate about their role and puts a strong emphasis on staff well-being. Staff express that they feel valued and well supported. They have regular supervision and access to ongoing professional development. Leaders and staff continually reflect as a team to develop and enhance the setting. The provider uses additional funding that children are entitled to, effectively. For instance, they have used funding to develop a sensory room. This provides children with a calm space to support their emotional development.
• Leaders and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) extremely well. They identify children with SEND through assessments and discussions with parents. They complete timely referrals and are committed to collaborating with parents and other professionals to ensure that children receive targeted support. This helps children with SEND to receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity.
• Leaders and staff have a clear curriculum in place. They plan an overall broad range of exciting activities, which generally engage children well and follow children's interests. For example, older children enjoy exploring sand and use their imaginations by pretending to be builders. Staff use this as an opportunity to extend children's language, talking about what builders do and wear. However, at times, the curriculum does not fully support younger children's learning. For instance, some activities in the baby room are not planned well enough to engage, and meet the needs of, all babies. This means, at times, babies lose interest. This does not consistently support them to make progress.
• Mathematics is integrated into all activities. For example, children expressively talk about value and number during their play. Staff extend children's learning by talking to them about one more and one less. Furthermore, staff talk to children about shapes as they complete puzzles. This helps children to make good progress in their mathematical development.
• Staff provide children with daily opportunities to develop their physical skills and enjoy the vast outdoor space. For instance, older children learn how to balance as they navigate walking through and around different-sized tyres. Staff working with babies know how to encourage them to reach, pull themselves up and gain their balance as they get ready for walking. For example, babies are supported to pull themselves up to stand at the water tray. Staff support and encourage children to take part in active music sessions. For instance, children excitedly engage in familiar songs, following the actions and dance moves. This supports children's health and well-being.
• Staff help children to learn about the world. They teach them about mutual respect and acceptance. For example, children enjoy learning about different cultures and values. They bring in photos from home that reflect differences in families. Children enjoy sharing these with their friends and proudly point out their photos on the display. This gives children a sense of belonging.
• Partnerships with parents are a key strength of this setting. Leaders and staff support parents and communicate with them extremely well. They regularly share children's progress, next steps in learning and home learning ideas to further children's development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the curriculum for babies so that the youngest children consistently have well-planned opportunities to engage in learning to support their development.