Little Squirts Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are keen to enter the setting. They are warmly greeted by caring staff, who are attentive to their needs and help settle them in. Children have secure attachments with their key persons. Children receive cuddles when they are upset or in need of reassurance. Staff have created a cosy and welcoming environment in the baby room. For example, babies are provided with a peaceful area for sleeping and are comforted when going to sleep.

At the start of the day, babies find their picture cards, and pre-school children discuss their feelings and emotions. This gives children an opportunity to share happy and sad experiences with the group. Children's communication and language is supported well. They develop an interest in books and choose stories to eagerly listen to. Children enjoy listening and joining in with familiar songs and are provided with additional props and musical instruments to make learning fun.

Children are given the opportunity to explore, indoors and outdoors. Older children eagerly put their coats on ready to explore outdoors. Staff set up obstacle courses for children to explore. Children run, jump, and climb confidently, using their large-motor skills. Staff work closely with the local community to arrange local visits to the church, and parents are given the opportunity to partake in such events to share in their children's learning.

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

• Staff have positive relationships with parents. Parents feel that their children have made good progress since attending the setting. Parents comment that they are well informed about their children's development through an online system. This means that parents can help support their child's learning at home. Parents speak highly of the staff and their close bonds with the children.
• Staff plan monthly topics, with the current topic being space. For example, an activity tray is set up as a constellation. Children enjoy various activities about space throughout the day. Staff use information about children's backgrounds to select a language of the month. For example, during registration time, children greet each other using the Chinese language, saying 'Ni Hao' to say 'hello.' This in turn builds on children's sense of belonging.
• Staff follow children's lead in activities. For example, during a building-block activity, children become imaginative and build caves for a bear from a favourite story. Staff build on children's prior knowledge and ask what else might the bear need. Children reply, saying 'rocks'. Staff then begin to repeat the refrains in the story as a reminder about what else the children may need.
• Staff are kind, caring and attentive to children's needs. There is an effective key-person and buddy system in place to ensure that children's needs are always met.
• Staff encourage children to attend to their toileting needs independently, offering help when needed. However, the same level of independence is not always encouraged by all staff during other routine activities.
• Staff talk to children as they play. They ask children questions, comment on their play, and describe their actions. However, at times, they do not allow children enough time to respond, to share their ideas and what they know.
• The management team enthusiastically supports children and their families. Staff are encouraged in their professional development. Gaps in staff's knowledge are bridged through regular staff meetings and training. This ensures that they can support children's learning in the setting and recognise when additional support is needed.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are assigned to the setting's special educational needs coordinator, who supports the children and works with outside agencies to provide further support.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide a more consistent approach to teaching strategies, to better support children's independence and ability to offer their own ideas when asked questions.