Little Wonders Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff know children well at this pre-school. They build strong relationships with families and learn about children's individual circumstances. Children are greeted on arrival and enter the pre-school with a smile.

Children learn about their senses through carefully chosen activities. They show interest in the exciting materials on offer and are keen to join in. They use cornflour, water and food colouring to discover what happens when these are mixed together. Children independently take some materials and place them in a bowl. Staff ask questions that encourage children to think about the colours they are making and how the consistency of the materials has changed. They provide children with scented liquids to add, and they ask them what they can smell. Children recall familiar smells and suggest that the liquid smells of pears.

Outdoors, children use chalks to make marks on the ground. Staff support children to develop their fine motor skills as they role model making different-sized shapes and lines on the floor, which children copy. Children are keen to draw around themselves and adults and discover the differences in the size of the shapes they have made. Staff understand the importance of children having opportunities to develop their large muscles during outdoor play and provide them with ride-on vehicles. They ensure children have sufficient space to practise these skills.

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

• Leaders and the manager have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all children. They have introduced a focus specifically on using books as part of their curriculum to support children's learning. They understand what children need to learn and help them to develop a love of books. Staff plan storytelling sessions, which further reinforces their curriculum. This is evident as children talk about books they have previously read, while engaging in play.
• Children behave well. Strategies have been put in place to promote positive behaviour, and children are beginning to learn what is expected of them. They are reminded of the rules they should follow both indoors and outdoors.
• Children learn to be good communicators. Leaders and staff prioritise the development of children's communication and language. They regularly sing songs to children and extend their vocabulary as they describe the activities they are taking part in. This helps children to make good progress.
• Changes have been made to the key-person system since the last inspection. Children are now based with their key person throughout the day and develop strong bonds with them. Key persons build positive relationships with the parents of their key children. This helps to continuously meet children's needs.
• Staff engage in regular professional development opportunities. Leaders observe practice across the pre-school, and staff have access to online training modules. However, this is not always refined to focus specifically on the areas of teaching that staff need to develop further. For example, some staff remind children of behaviour rules, such as using 'walking feet', when they are already walking. Others are not able to break down what it is that children need to learn next, or understand why certain next steps are in place for some children. This results in some inconsistent practice across the pre-school.
• Parents are generally happy about the care their children receive. They comment that children are happy to attend and say that staff are friendly. Leaders and staff plan workshops for parents and provide opportunities for them to be involved in their children's experiences in the pre-school. However, some parents comment that they do not receive regular information about their children's development or the progress they are making. This does not help parents to support children's learning in the home.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The special educational needs coordinator, although new in her role, is knowledgeable about children's development. She supports staff to identify gaps in children's development and helps them to create suitable support plans. She liaises with external agencies to obtain advice about how to support children's learning further. This means children with SEND make good progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• target future professional development opportunities in order to help to refine and enhance staff teaching skills more precisely
• develop ways in which information is provided for parents, specifically in relation to children's development.