Loxford First Step Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the pre-school happily and separate easily from their parents. They show that they feel safe and secure with practitioners, who are warm and caring. Children choose where they would like to play, and practitioners are readily available to play with them and extend their learning. This supports children's emotional development.

Overall, the manager has put a good learning programme in place to support children's learning. The special educational needs coordinator works effectively in partnership with outside agencies and parents. Practitioners ensure that all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support to help them to close gaps in their learning. This has a positive impact on the quality of education that all children receive.

The practitioners are good role models. They are polite in their interactions with children, who, in turn, demonstrate politeness to their friends. For instance, children kindly pass plates of apples and cucumbers to their friends at snack time. Children show respect to their friends. They play cooperatively alongside and with each other. Children behave well.

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

• The manager values the practitioners and leads them well. She ensures that they have time each day to spend with their key children. Practitioners know their key children well. For instance, they set up experiences in calm areas that they know children like to quietly explore. This supports children's sense of belonging and well-being.
• Practitioners ensure that materials and resources are available for children to use. However, at times, they do not give children enough time to fully explore the resources. For instance, during some group sessions, children do not have enough time to think and communicate their own ideas. The manager recognises that more can be done to support children's communication, curiosity and problem-solving skills even further.
• Practitioners support children to learn in meaningful ways. They set up sensory experiences with pumpkin, spaghetti and play dough, and children use their hands to squeeze, press and mould them. Outside, they use ride-on bikes, balance on low beams, and climb up and go down a slide. This benefits children's small- and large-muscle development.
• Children enjoy nutritious snacks, which are freshly prepared at the pre-school. Practitioners help children to understand how food contributes to a healthy lifestyle. For instance, they work with parents to ensure that the packed lunches that children bring in are healthy and meet their dietary needs. This promotes children's health.
• Practitioners support children's understanding of early mathematical concepts. They skilfully help children to develop their counting skills. Children learn about numbers through playful activities and experiences.
• There is good support for children who speak English as an additional language. Practitioners understand the importance of children using their home languages alongside English as they play and learn. Some staff speak several languages and are skilful in their interactions with children. This supports children's next steps in education.
• Practitioners help children to develop their communication and language skills through everyday routines. For instance, as children walk down the stairs and line up, staff sing songs and rhymes and children keenly join in. The manager uses additional funding to enable staff to access training to develop children's communication and language skills further.
• The manager and practitioners form good relationships with parents. They gather information about children before they start. They use this information to begin to plan activities and experiences for the children. This supports children to make good progress from their starting points.
• Partnership with parents is strong and effective. Parents feel that practitioners are approachable and friendly. They value the support they receive from the manager and their children's key persons. This has a positive impact on children's personal development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to develop staff's understanding of how to promote children's problem-solving and communication by allowing them the time to explore and test out their ideas as they play.