Little Nipperz

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children are content and settle very well in the pre-school. They are happy and excited to tell adults what they like to do, such as riding 'the star bike' and 'playing with toys'. Children spend long periods of time creating pretend ice creams and milkshakes made from pink sand and mud.

Children have plenty of fun as they develop a wide range of skills. For example, they learn how to carefully pour water from one container to another without spilling it. Children enthusiastically take part in lively conversations with staff and their friends. They show good language skills as they happily sing songs, nursery rhymes and play musical games. Children are well behaved, they take turns as they wait for others to jump from a low-level tree stump. Children show enormous pride in their achievements, which they are keen for adults to see.

Children show a good understanding of mathematical concepts. They recognise familiar numbers as they play hopscotch with staff and use their hands to demonstrate what 'little' looks like. Children are eager to join in activities. When a member of staff asks how many legs a snake has, a child riding past calls out 'they have zero legs'.

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

• The providers have worked hard since the last inspection to make improvements. There is a key-person system in place and staff know their children really well.
• The quality of support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is extremely good. Staff provide excellent opportunities that promote their communication and language skills. They talk to children about their achievements, such as how well they are sorting colours into groups. Children enjoy taking part in sensory play, they open and close their hands while watching the shaving foam ooze out between their fingers.
• There are good links with local schools, which helps to support children when the time comes to leave the pre-school. Partnerships with other professionals help to ensure that staff can support children further.
• Parents speak highly of staff and know who their child's key person is. However, the providers have not yet fully explored ways to share up-to-date information to help parents support their child's learning at home.
• Staff model language very well and encourage children to express their thoughts and use new words. Children are happy to talk to staff who show great interest in what they have to say.
• Regular staff supervision meetings include feedback about any weaknesses in practice and reflects upon the quality of care and education children receive.
• Risk assessments and daily safety checks of all areas accessed by children helps to ensure any potential risks are swiftly identified and minimised.
• Staff use a wide range of strategies to help children learn about what is acceptable behaviour. Good staff supervision and deployment means that they are on hand to provide children with gentle reminders and hold discussions that help to support their understanding.
• Staff observe and use assessment to monitor children's progress. However, they do not always ensure that planned activities specifically meet each child's next steps for learning.
• Sometimes, staff do not make effective use of knowledge shared by parents about what children know and can do when they start, in order to plan for what they need to learn first.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend staffs' understanding of children's next steps, in order to promote continuity in their learning further
• make effective use of knowledge shared by parents about what children know and can do when they start, in order to plan for what they need to learn first
• build on the good communication with parents to develop ways to consistently share up-to-date information about how they can support their child's learning at home.