Little Stones Bersted

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have created an environment in which children thoroughly enjoy their time. Children develop close relationships, and staff nurture children with warmth and gentle guidance. This is a key strength of the pre-school. For example, the key person approach is very effective, and staff have an excellent awareness of children's interests and lives outside of the pre-school. This helps children develop a sense of belonging, which sets a foundation for their learning.

Children are very motivated in their play. Staff play alongside them and offer ideas to extend learning. For example, when children collect ice from one container to transfer it to another, staff suggest ways to make this process easier. This helps children develop their problem-solving skills and work collaboratively with their peers.

The curriculum is broad and balanced. Leaders place an emphasis on supporting children's independence and communication skills. They weave stories and role-play into everyday activities. Children learn about the joy that comes from reading books and recalling events from familiar stories. They are asked to contribute and share their opinions about characters and what might happen next. Children, including those who have English as an additional language, rapidly learn new vocabulary.

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

• The leadership is strong. Leaders have a clear vision and make effective use of evaluation and feedback. This helps to continuously improve the quality of the curriculum, and the care provided. Staff are instructed on how to use observation and assessment to identify areas where children may need support or be at risk of falling behind. As a result, staff can respond quickly with support and help close the gaps in children's learning.
• Leaders and staff strive to create a calm learning environment. Children demonstrate good manners and are kind to their friends. They are learning to share, and staff set high expectations for good behaviour, which they model well. Staff place high importance on friendships and help children develop good social skills. This helps children to be well prepared for school.
• Staff enjoy their roles and report high levels of well-being. They work together with the leadership team, who invite them to contribute and implement new ideas into the pre-school. They feel valued and listened to. Children remain at the heart of all that staff do.
• Generally, staff plan a stimulating curriculum and show an acute interest in children's existing knowledge and what they need to learn next. However, there are times when staff do not precisely plan what they want children to learn. As a result, some learning is not as effective as it could be and can be incidental rather than purposeful.
• Staff ensure that children have good, enjoyable opportunities to play outside. For example, children demonstrate a high level of excitement and enjoyment as they squeal with laughter during water and ice play. Staff use these times to teach children about sun safety and the effect it has on their bodies. Children learn the importance of staying hydrated in hot weather. This helps children develop an overall understanding of their own physical development.
• Children make progress in their learning and development. They have opportunities for their skills to be nurtured. For example, staff use effective questioning to extend conversations, which supports children to articulate their thoughts. However, there are times when children have unclear speech, and staff do not consistently and clearly repeat back a mispronunciation. Consequently, children do not always hear the correct way to pronounce a word.
• Leaders ensure that all children have the opportunity to take part in events that they might not have previously experienced. For example, children enjoy informative visits where they have the chance to hold reptiles and insects. A dental nurse visits to provide a range of activities and resources to expose children to good oral health practices. Children and families engage in local charity events. Children are taught the importance of respecting the community in which they live and the cultures of their friends.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's understanding of how to plan even more precisely for every child, to continually build on and extend their learning further
• strengthen staff's understanding of how to develop and extend children's language skills.