Little Nippers Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide an extremely warm and welcoming environment. Children arrive happy and leave their parents with ease. There is a buzz of excitement as children greet staff and their friends. Children find their name card or first letter of their name to self-register. They independently take off their coat and hang this in the designated area. Staff are always close by to offer support to children who need it. Children settle quickly into their play. They show how they feel safe in the care of nurturing staff.

Staff support children to build respectful and caring relationships. For example, they encourage children to say 'good morning' to their friends during the circle time activity. They remind children to listen to each other as well as staff so that everyone's voice can be heard. Staff encourage children to leave the group with a friend or two and find play of their choice. They enhance children's emotional security and support them to make good friendships.

Children enjoy a range of play to support their large- and small-muscle development. For instance, they take turns with their peers to catch beanbags in scoop rackets. Children use water and chalk to make marks outside. They name the colour of chalk confidently, such as white, blue and pink. Staff build effectively on what children already know and can do.

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

• Leaders and staff provide a broad and varied curriculum for all children, including those on the pathway to diagnosis. They consider children's individual needs, interests and experiences that they may not yet have had. The curriculum focuses greatly on developing skills children will need for their eventual move on to school. Children make good progress from their starting points.
• Children thrive on the responsibilities the cook gives them at snack time. They wash their hands, help to clean the table and put bowls of fresh fruit out for their friends. Through good adult modelling, children learn about healthy eating and self-care.
• Staff take children to the adjoining library for singing and rhyme time. Children visit the local supermarket where they buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Staff take children to the local dentist where they have a chance to explore the treatment room. They help children to learn about the world and people who help them.
• Staff enhance children's communication and literacy development well through familiar stories. Children's voices are heard in the pre-school. For example, children vote for the story they wish for staff to read. Staff draw children's attention to the spine and title of the book. They pause when reading so that children can fill in the missing words and recall events in the story. Staff foster children's love of books very well.
• Overall, staff use group time activities well throughout the day to encourage children to share in learning experiences. However, they do not always consider the age range of children in the group and care routines that need to take place before lunch. This impacts, at times, on the noise level in the room and disrupts some children's concentration on the learning that takes place.
• Staff link mathematics throughout the curriculum. For instance, they build counting into everyday routines, such as register time. Children recognise the number two and find this displayed elsewhere in the pre-school when requested. When asked, they know they have two ears, eyes and hands. Staff also link counting to books, songs and rhymes. Children identify, at times, how many fingers staff hold up, such as three, without counting.
• Parents and grandparents report the good progress their children make, particularly their social and language development. Parents report how their children share their learning with them. For example, they share their knowledge of shape, such as identifying an oval and comparing it to an egg. Parents and grandparents are aware of the core books used in the pre-school and of activities that take place. This allows them to continue this learning at home.
• Leadership is strong. Leaders have a great overview of the strengths of the pre-school and areas for improvement. Funding is used well to support children's individual needs. Leaders support staff practice through effective supervision and observations of their practice. However, there is scope to precisely target training for staff who are less confident in their interactions with children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the organisation of group-time activities at busier times of the day to allow for greater collaboration from children and uninterrupted learning
• enhance performance management to precisely identify areas for staff development to raise the quality of education even further.