Little Nippers Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create an enticing environment that children confidently explore. For example, pre-school children exclaim they are 'so excited' to take part in a food-tasting activity. Staff give children time to consider how to describe the foods they are trying. Children confidently say the different foods are delicious, sweet or sour. During circle time, children are encouraged to take turns and share news about their weekend. Children listen intently, giggling as their friends tell them a story about a water slide. Staff gently support children who are less confident by giving them more time to think and respond. To this end, children take part in the activity at their own pace. Staff praise children for their confident communication and use of description words. This sees children beam with pride.

Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play. They use their muscles and develop their coordination skills as staff help them balance on stilts and throw balls into the basketball hoop. Staff support toddlers to climb steps to the slide, where they help them sit safely before sliding back down. Children are kind to others. They notice their friends struggling to ride their car up the small slope. Children readily offer to help push their friend's car up the slope, so they can roll their car back down again. Staff praise them for helping others.

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

• Leaders have taken a positive approach to addressing the weaknesses that are raised at the previous inspection. They have now shared information with Ofsted regarding new committee members. This has enabled Ofsted to complete the required suitability checks to ensure that the committee members are suitable for their roles.
• Staff are good role models, and they encourage children to take care of resources and the surrounding environment. For example, pre-school children confidently recite the setting rules of 'choose it, use it and put it away'. Children notice when they have accidently spilt water on the floor during their play. Staff praise children as they know to clean the water up, so their friends do not slip. Children learn to play safely.
• Parents are positive about the care their children receive. They state their children are gaining confidence and are developing their language skills. Parents appreciate the support that staff have given them to request additional support, complete assessments and apply for additional funding. This includes for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Staff aim to develop children's independence skills. For example, at lunchtime, children open their own food packets and pour their own drinks, and they are encouraged to hold up 'help' cards to request support from staff. However, opportunities for children to carry out tasks for themselves are not consistent.
• Staff are quick to complete tasks that children could do for themselves. This includes wiping pre-school children's noses and taking toddlers' shoes and boots off for them.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their small muscles. For example, children use a variety of tools, such as cookie cutters and rolling pins, to make new shapes in dough. In addition, staff help children to follow picture instructions to make structures out of click-together magnetic shapes. This helps them practise the skills they need for early writing. Staff also support children to identify shapes, sizes and colours as they carefully connect the magnetic pieces together. This helps support children's growing mathematical understanding.
• Staff provide activities to support children's understanding of good dental hygiene and making healthy food choices. For example, they provide healthy snacks and access to fresh drinking water. However, staff do not yet share ideas and information with families about how to make the contents of children's lunch boxes as healthy as possible.
• Managers and staff work to enhance children's experiences. They regularly take children out within the local community, including making visits to the butchers, the fruit and vegetable shop and the local park. In addition, the committee works with staff to provide children with opportunities and resources to grow their own vegetables and plants in local allotments. These experiences enable children to have a wide range of opportunities that they may not yet have had.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff in providing consistent opportunities for children to carry out tasks for themselves to further promote their independence
• find ways to share information with parents about including even more healthy options for children's lunch boxes.