Love Lane Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The management team, staff and new committee have successfully addressed the last inspection findings. For example, the new chair of the committee has ensured that all members of the committee understand their role and had their suitability checks completed. The manager works well with the treasurer to ensure that all funding is spent appropriately on children to improve outcomes. Staff have formed strong relationships with parents and children, which in turn helps children to feel safe and secure.

The manager and staff regularly reflect on what they are offering to children to ensure that their needs are met. Staff communicate well to each other about children's progress and their next steps in learning. This helps them to cater activities to support children's development. Children are happy and thrive in the care of the kind, dedicated and enthusiastic staff team. Staff engage with children well, overall, and offer a learning environment which is rich in language.

Children enjoy attending and they settle quickly to self-chosen play activities. They enjoy circle time where they enthusiastically sing the welcome song to their friends, staff, and visitors. Group times are provided to help children build on their social skills and to encourage children's listening, attention, and confidence.

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

• Staff work well together to create a welcoming and child-friendly setting. Staff set out activities that provide children with interest and build on what they know and can do. Children enjoy attending the pre-school, they separate well from their parents and carers and show enthusiasm to play.
• All children show they are making good progress from their starting points. Those that need additional support are offered this well. Children have many opportunities to hear and learn songs and rhymes. As part of the curriculum provided by the staff, children enjoy learning a new song weekly.
• Staff promote children's communication and language skills well. They hold ongoing discussions with the children and read books regularly to them to support their listening and attention skills. However, at times, some staff quickly ask children multiple questions, which does not allow them time to respond.
• Children are supported in developing their independence skills very well. They make choices and decisions about their play. For example, children can choose where to play, inside or outside, and pick from a good range of activities out and available. Children are taught to manage their own self-help skills successfully. For instance, children are encouraged to put on their outside clothing and get tissues to blow their noses.
• Children behave well and are appropriately supported in learning about their feelings and emotions. This is because staff use colours to affiliate emotions with use of the 'Colour Monster' to help children to learn. Children benefit from a good amount of praise and encouragement from staff, which supports their self-confidence. However, at times, staff do not help children to understand the consequences of their behaviour and why routines need to be followed. For example, too often children are not taught why they should sit down to eat and walk inside.
• Children enjoy playing outside and they learn to take and manage risks well when using equipment in their play. For instance, as they use the scooters and build obstacle courses, they negotiate obstacles and space. Staff support children's understanding of the world successfully. For example, they take children out in the community to visit the castle, parks, explore the woodlands and to the allotment to grow and nurture foods, children also enjoy visits from animals, such as therapy horses.
• Staff work effectively with parents and other professionals to ensure that children receive the support that they need. Parents speak highly about the staff, their children's development and the care provided. They comment that staff value their children and support their learning well. Others recognise that the staff go above and beyond as they guide and give emotional support and assistance as required. Parents say they are happy with the information they receive about their children's learning, both verbally and through meetings.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on strategies used for questioning children, to develop the consistency of their interactions to further support children's thinking skills
• create more opportunities to help children understand why rules are in place.