Little Oaks Hurst Green Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive and show their excitement and readiness for play and learning. Staff greet children and their families, and children receive support to locate their name and register their attendance. Staff draw children together shortly after arrival for 'proposal time'. Here, they sing their regular song and staff share information about activities and experiences available to children during the session. Children sit and listen intently and then, after a short time, set off and readily engage themselves in the experiences available. Older children show great kindness to their younger friends. They help them to seek reassurance and support from staff and suggest where they might like to play. This helps children to build good relationships with each other and the staff.

Children take part in differing activities that engage their interest and support their physical development. For example, they listen to music while manipulating play dough. This enables them to listen to the instructions and follow them to poke, push or roll the dough. Children become thoroughly engrossed in creative activities and delight in making potions and perfume. They show great small-muscle skills in using the pipettes to place the water into the bottles. The manager understands how to plan and provide an effective curriculum. She continually works with her team to ensure that their observation, assessment and planning system is effective for all involved. This enables them to target worthwhile aspects for development.

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

• The manager is a truly reflective practitioner, who creates a secure ethos of effective teamwork. She has a secure understanding of her role and responsibilities and how best to support staff. The staff report that they receive effective support from the manager to enable them to provide a good-quality provision.
• Staff clearly understand their key children's learning needs, styles and personalities. They work together as a team, sharing all that they know about children's developmental stages and what children need to learn next. This enables staff to make the most of each interaction with children. The children have consistent key persons, which enables them to build and maintain effective bonds.
• There is highly effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have created a dedicated sensory room, using additional funding to great effect. This enables children to be in an environment that meets their individual needs. Staff welcome and work in partnership with other agencies also supporting children and their families. This helps to promote consistency in children's care and learning.
• Children begin to learn to manage their feelings through effective support from staff. However, on occasions, staff do not provide children with clear explanations about why they must not do something. This does not enable children to further develop a secure understanding of the consequences of their actions.
• Children learn mathematical concepts, and staff support children to sort objects by size. Children use tweezers to pick up the pretend worms and place the long ones in one pot and the shorter ones in another. They also sing songs relating to the activity, such as 'There's a worm at the bottom of the garden'. This further increases children's engagement in their chosen play and learning experience.
• Children have time with staff to reflect on their session. They talk about the activities they have taken part in, what they have enjoyed and listen intently to a poem. However, staff sometimes pose too many questions at once to children. This means that children do not always have enough time to think and respond, which does not enhance their understanding of the flow of a conversation.
• Children have many opportunities to learn about the world around them and celebrations and festivals. For example, staff provide activities and experiences to support children's understanding of Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon. Children have opportunities to make decorations and learn about cultural dress. Older children share their knowledge about the wider world and talk about shooting stars and the Northern Lights.
• Staff build effective relationships with parents from the outset. Parents report that the staff are 'amazing' and that their children settle quickly at the setting. Parents comment that staff readily share information about what their children need to learn next and include ideas for learning at home. This promotes a consistent approach to children's care and learning.
• Staff have continual opportunities to seek further courses to increase their knowledge. They access training to enhance their professionalism and gain recognised qualifications. This enables them to continually improve their skills and practice to further support children in their learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's understanding of the importance of providing children with simple explanations about the consequences of their actions
• provide children with the time they need to respond to questions that staff pose, to build their understanding of the flow of a conversation.