Longthorpe Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish at this inspirational setting. They are eager and excited as they arrive at the pre-school. Staff are welcoming and happily greet children and their families with kindness. The highly qualified team ensure that children's welfare and happiness are paramount. Children develop excellent relationships with the staff. They form close friendships with their peers and become engrossed in their play together. Children's behaviour is excellent. They use good manners and understand the behavioural expectations of the setting. Children confidently understand the routines throughout the day. For example, when staff play instruments, they know it is time to join different activities.

Children are highly motivated and engage in exciting and purposeful activities. For example, they become thoroughly absorbed as they explore the mud area outside. They use a variety of tools, such as magnifying glasses, spades and buckets, as they excavate 'dinosaur eggs'. Staff ask children what other types of animals lay eggs and children say, 'chickens'. They introduce new information and clearly explain about snake, turtle, platypus and ostrich eggs.

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

• The management team and committee are fully dedicated. They ensure children receive the best care and start to their education. They use weekly meetings to communicate with staff. This helps to ensure they are always kept up to date with relevant information. All staff work exceptionally well as a team. Staff use children's interests to plan enthusing activities to meet individual needs. As a team, they reiterate what it is they want children to learn. They discuss strategies and teaching ideas about how to achieve children's individual targets. The management team supports staff's ongoing professional development. Staff state they feel 'well supported', 'happy' and 'love their job'.
• Parents comment positively about the pre-school. They highly praise staff's excellent communication methods. Parents state that staff go 'above and beyond'. They compliment staff's excellent knowledge of children and their families. Parents explain how staff continually support their children's learning and development. For example, staff share ideas, resources and give suggestions for continued learning.
• Staff recognise the importance of physical play. For example, children love to take part in dancing and yoga sessions. They learn to run and move in a range of ways outdoors. Children have opportunities to challenge themselves and take risks. For instance, children join in obstacle courses and climbing. They use a range of equipment to develop their muscle control.
• Children's communication and language are skilfully supported by all staff. They ask children questions and give them time to think and respond. Staff extend children's knowledge by giving clear explanations. For example, as children build with large bricks, a child shouts 'Fire in the hole'. Staff question children's understanding and explain where the expression originated from.
• Children who experience difficulties in their speech and language are extremely well supported. Staff work with outside agencies, such as speech and language therapists. They create effective one-to-one intervention programmes to focus on targeted learning. Parents report on the excellent progress their children make with organised activities.
• Staff have a deep understanding of the backgrounds of children and their families. The pre-school utilises staff's skills to support parents who speak other languages. Staff teach children about other festivals and celebrations different to their own. This in turn helps children learn about the community they live in.
• Children develop their independence to the highest level. They pour their own drinks and help to prepare for snack. During mealtimes, staff develop children's understanding of healthy and unhealthy foods. Children enjoy exploring a variety of foods. For instance, the pre-school provide different foods for children to investigate. Children carefully use child friendly knives as they explore foods. They enjoy exploring the insides of bitter gourds, okra and aubergine. Staff develop children's vocabulary as they discuss the texture, colours and seeds.