Little Stars Pre-School (Larkfield) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted pleasantly as they arrive. They form strong bonds with the staff and move securely around the pre-school, choosing what they want to play with. Children choose from the wide and exciting activities that are set out for them around the setting indoors and outdoors. They engage, for a long period of time, in meaningful activities that are planned for their interests. For example, they 'cook' in the kitchen with a practitioner, talking about food that is cooked at home and what they like to eat. This helps them to make good progress in their learning.

Children's behaviour is very good. They build positive relationships, showing care and consideration for others while playing. For example, children offer toys to each other when playing with the torches, taking turns and sharing. This supports children's resilience and independence development.

Children are confident communicators. They follow instructions and voice their needs and interests. Children are encouraged to talk about what they are doing and share their ideas. For example, children ask for the bubble bottles, explaining and showing how they are going to make bubbles and blow them. Children are polite and courteous, routinely saying 'please' and 'thank you'.

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

• Children are able to make choices in their play indoors and outdoors from the range of resources available to them. Books and stories are a big part of children's experience. For example, staff engage children in stories, asking them questions and giving them time to answer. Children are supported in taking measurable risks. For example they confidently climb on the balancing apparatus available to them outdoors, while being supervised by the staff.
• Management and staff have high expectations for the children in their care. Using regular assessments and their knowledge of the children, they plan a varied curriculum that builds on what the children can do and know. Staff communicate well with children. Children are strongly encouraged to speak up about what they are doing and how they are doing it. Although teaching is strong overall, there are times when staff do not intervene to extend children's learning. For example, during a game of shopping with a member of the staff, children comment that cucumber is healthy, to which the member of the staff replies 'yes, it is'. However, this could be extended further.
• Overall, children's independence is supported. They learn key skills, such as using the toilet, washing their hands and cutting their own fruit. However, at times, staff are too helpful. For example, they give children help to put their coats on, rather than encouraging them to do it themselves.
• Equality and diversity are promoted well. Children learn about other cultures through activities and books. They share their different experiences with each other. For example, they pick up coloured rice with chopsticks, filling and emptying containers, while discussing with an adult what food is eaten in China and how to use chopsticks.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the setting. Parents talk highly of the setting, the management and the staff. They especially comment on the strong bonds that their children are developing with their key person and the progress they are making in their learning and development. For example, parents of a child with challenging behaviour comment on how the strategies that the staff share with them impact positively on their children's behaviour both at home and at the pre-school. The staff and managers work closely with parents and professionals to support children's learning and development.
• Leaders support their team well. They use supervisions and observations to support individual staff training needs in order to improve practice. Staff feel that they can voice their concerns and wishes to the management team. For example, staff requests for extra training are taken into consideration and are arranged as needed.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to recognise how to use spontaneous opportunities to extend and challenge children's learning further
• strengthen further the support for children to develop independence in their self-care.