Little Owls Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily at this friendly pre-school. Enthusiastic staff greet families and gather key information about children that could impact on their time at the pre-school. Children rush to join their friends and remain deeply absorbed in play throughout the session. Staff provide a wealth of age-appropriate resources and activities. They encourage children to explore them in their individual ways and adapt their teaching to support this. For example, in a sensory activity, some children choose to use shaving foam to stick blocks together. Staff encourage them to measure their structures and identify shapes they can see within them. Other children choose to add paint to the foam. Staff support their learning to the same high standard. Together they explore the different colours they can create and discuss the 'slimy' and 'puffy' texture of the foam.

Knowledgeable staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well in the pre-school. Key staff monitor children's progress closely. They identify any concerns and ensure appropriate learning plans are swiftly put in place. Staff use their strong knowledge and extensive experience to provide additional support for children during activities. This ensures all children settle well in the pre-school, build close relationships with staff, and make good progress from their starting points.

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

• Staff support children's mathematical learning well. They plan enjoyable activities based on children's individual interests and needs. For example, children have a keen interest in insects since hatching their own butterflies. Staff encourage them to hunt for bugs hidden in sand, counting how many they can collect. Older children complete more ambitious tasks, such as sorting plastic insects according to their colour and features.
• Children leave the pre-school well prepared for their next stage of learning. Class teachers from their new schools visit them in the familiar pre-school environment. This allows children to build these new relationships with their nurturing key staff on hand for support. Over the course of the year, the setting adapts its routines to help prepare children for school. For example, children practise pouring their own drinks and opening food packaging. These skills enable them to manage mealtimes independently.
• The pre-school provides opportunities for children to develop their communication skills. Staff role model new words during activities. For example, children learn about the height and length of the models they create. Children enjoy regular group sessions, where they sing songs and explore books with staff. However, on occasion staff are not always distributed effectively to provide such focused learning opportunities during sessions of free play.
• Children learn about the importance of leading healthy lifestyles in age-appropriate ways. Staff sit with children during meals and snacks. They discuss the healthy choices of foods they eat and how they give them energy to play. Children have continuous access to outdoor play in the well organised garden. They create their own planters to grow fruits and vegetables in and enjoy playing games that support their physical development.
• The provider supports staff development and well-being by conducting regular appraisals to identify areas for development. Staff are well qualified and committed to enhancing their knowledge further. They have access to a wealth of online and face-to-face training opportunities to support their professional development. However, staff coaching is not yet sufficient to enable staff to identify areas to improve their practice and share their knowledge and skills with one another.
• Relationships with parents are of a high standard. Parents praise the team for the care and teaching they provide. They acknowledge how this helps children feel happy and settled. Parents are encouraged to take an active role in their children's learning. They regularly visit the pre-school for consultation sessions, where they discuss children's progress and how to further support their learning at home. Staff plan wonderful opportunities for parents to gather a deep insight into children's time at the pre-school. For example, parents join children for picnic lunches and watch the end of year plays that children perform.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• establish effective coaching methods that support staff to raise the quality of their teaching to a consistently high standard
• plan more effective allocation of staff to ensure children's learning is promoted to the same high standard across all activities.