Little Stars Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this friendly pre-school. They move around the rooms confidently, choosing what they want to play with. They play well together and wait patiently for their turn to put a building block onto the top of the tower. They count with staff to 10 and as the tower wobbles and falls down they scream with delight. They use their hand-to-eye coordination carefully and build the tower taller and taller.

Children love being physically active. They excitedly go into the hall and willingly take part in a yoga session. Children run safely around the hall. They stretch and use their bodies to move like animals. They stomp like elephants, crawl like a caterpillar and fly like a butterfly. These movements help children to strengthen their arms and legs to help them develop skills, for example riding a bicycle.

Children have a positive attitude to their learning and enjoy the activities the staff provide. Older children thoroughly enjoy painting. They use their small-muscle skills and hold the paintbrush with control. They talk to staff about their drawing. They count how many legs their spiders have and explain how bees make a buzzing sound and make lots of honey.

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

• The manager supports staff through regular meetings, supervision and appraisals. This helps staff to reflect on their own practice and to identify further training opportunities. Recent training has helped staff to extend their knowledge of how to improve children's language and speaking skills. Staff now ensure they make eye contact with the children and are at their level as they speak. As a result, older children are using good language skills and holding conversations with each other and staff.
• The manager and staff plan a curriculum that gives children the skills they need for future learning. They encourage the children to explore and provide a range of experiences for children. For instance, children explore their own ideas as they fill and empty sand into different-sized containers. This helps to develop their mathematical skills. Children are keen to try out activities, like rolling sand down a plastic drainpipe. However, occasionally, staff step in too soon and often show the older children what to do. This limits older children's opportunities to try to solve problems or find out what to do for themselves.
• Children behave well and are confident to have a go at activities and explore. They respond well to the activities staff plan. For example, they love investigating the textures and tastes of vegetables, such as cauliflower and parsnips. However, at times, staff do not give enough attention to younger children who prefer solitary play. They let them play, but do not interact frequently enough to help extend their skills and knowledge.
• Staff communicate frequently with parents about their children's learning and daily experiences. This helps parents to continue to support their children's development at home. Parents speak highly of the pre-school. They say the staff are friendly, approachable and know their children well.
• Staff find out about the experiences the children have at home. They use this information and broaden these experiences. For example, they take children into the local community. They visit the shops to see how to buy food, to the library to develop their love of books and to soft-play centres to help children to take risks and extend their physical development.
• Staff understand how to manage children's behaviour well. They support children to develop respect for others. For example, children learn about their friend's beliefs. They celebrate a range of festivals from other cultures and faiths, such as Diwali and Chinese New Year.
• Staff encourage children to develop their self-care skills. Children know they wash their hands before eating. They tell the staff 'It's so they can get rid of the germs.' They pour their own water and feed themselves their yogurt. These skills help in preparation for school. Younger children try first and staff support them to, for example, open packets. They feed themselves and are learning to say please and thank you.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop opportunities for older children to solve problems and find out what to do for themselves
• strengthen staff's understanding of how to support younger children who prefer solitary play to help build on and extend the children's skills and knowledge.