Lowson Street Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have a wonderful rapport with children at this very friendly and welcoming setting. Children are happy, settled and secure. They form close bonds with staff, who are very caring, respectful and kind. Settling-in sessions for new children and parents are flexible to meet individual needs and new children settle quickly. Children learn to share as they explore with dough and oats as part of an activity. They take turns as they play with jigsaws, trains and small-world figures. Staff explain gently to children the reasons for unwanted behaviour and the impact of their actions. They encourage children to play well together and be kind to their friends.

Children learn how to care for living things through exciting activities, such as hatching duck eggs and planting runner beans to take home to grow. Staff are very positive and encouraging. They are clear with their praise so that children can easily recognise and be proud of their achievements. This helps to raise children's confidence and self-esteem. Children register themselves into the setting. This helps them to feel a sense of ownership and belonging. Children grow in their independence. Staff support them to hang up their coats, wash their hands and choose what they want to play with next.

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

• Children benefit from a wide range of stimulating and challenging activities. They make shadows with torches and plant herbs and sunflowers. Children explore the texture of paint in large trays with sweeping and scrubbing brushes. Staff identify where children are in their development effectively. They know children's interests and how to support their future learning.
• Overall, staff provide strong support for children's developing vocabularies. Children enjoy lovely conversations with staff about their home lives and own experiences. However, staff do not consistently leave more time for children to respond to more detailed questions, to extend their language further.
• Staff plan good support for children to develop physically. Children strengthen their hands and fingers, such as through gluing, rolling dough and using scissors. They balance on obstacle courses made from planks and crates. Children jump on space hoppers and learn to weave wheelbarrows around the enclosed garden.
• Children enjoy singing and stories. They benefit from taking part in small-group activities to help to develop their speech and language. However, staff do not consistently consider how they can reduce distractions at the beginning of sessions, in order to settle children and support them to listen.
• The manager uses additional funding received by the setting to buy outdoor resources to support children's physical skills. For example, staff have purchased ladders to help children to develop their core strength and coordination.
• Children are curious and enthusiastic to learn. They learn about the wider world outside the setting, such as through nature walks, sports days and trips to a local farm.
• Well-established routines at snack time help children to become increasingly independent. Children find their name, fetch their plates and wash their hands. Staff support children to choose from a range of healthy snacks and pour their drinks. Children scrape their plates and help to tidy away.
• Parents speak very highly of the setting. They say how caring and friendly staff are and praise the strong progress that their children make. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities describe the positive impact that staff have made to their children's lives.
• Relationships with local schools and settings are well established. There are robust arrangements in place to share relevant information. This helps to create a consistent approach to support children's learning and development.
• The manager gathers the views of others to help to plan improvements. She reflects well on experiences for children, staff and parents. For example, the manager asks staff their views about support for their well-being. She asks staff how useful they find the one-to-one meetings that she plans.
• The professional and experienced staff work very well together as a team. The dedicated and hard-working manager is very supportive of her staff. She encourages staff to develop their practice and keep their skills up to date. The manager and staff are passionate about the care they provide.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more time for children to respond to more detailed questions, to develop their language further
• reduce distractions at the beginning of small-group sessions, in order to settle children and support them to listen.