Lydgate Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm welcome from the manager and staff when they arrive at the pre-school. They share news about their weekend as staff listen with interest. Children's behaviour is of a high standard. They are polite and helpful. They know the routines of the day and display good levels of independence. For example, they pour their own milk and spread cheese on their crackers. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the care of the nurturing staff team.

Children show a very positive attitude to learning. They can choose from a wide variety of activities in the stimulating learning environment, both indoors and outside. They concentrate as they practise using scissors. They listen attentively to stories and join in with the actions to favourite songs and rhymes. Children develop their finger muscles as they roll dough into a variety of different shapes. The range of learning opportunities available helps prepare children to develop a real enthusiasm for learning.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported extremely effectively. They are making good progress because staff understand their needs. This enables them to plan appropriate activities, often in partnership with professionals from other services, such as speech and language therapy. Parents are extremely grateful for the additional support staff provide.

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

• Managers and staff are passionate about providing children with a wide range of learning opportunities. All staff know the children extremely well. This enables them to plan experiences that help children to build on what they already know and can do. Staff recognise how to use individual children's interests to engage them. For example, they use children's interest in minibeasts to encourage them to count the number of legs on a spider. They provide interesting books, so children can identify the insects they have found.
• The learning environment provides children with opportunities to learn about the world around them. A show home and construction toys have been set up because new houses are being built nearby. A visit to the building site is being planned. The role-play area has recently been set up as a mosque. This has enabled children to share their experiences of worship. For example, they show their friends that they remove their shoes before going in.
• Interactions between staff and children are warm and respectful. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported, as several staff speak a range of different languages. Children's speech and communication are promoted, as staff speak clearly and give children time to respond to questions. However, staff do not consistently introduce sufficient vocabulary as children play. For example, they do not talk about the textures and shapes as children roll and cut dough. They do not describe the food children eat at snack time.
• Staff plan a range of different opportunities for children to visit the on-site school. They recently ate their snack in the dining hall. Staff have identified that some children need further support to be ready to write, for when they go to school. Therefore, they have created additional opportunities to make marks. The highly effective partnership with school staff supports children moving on to school.
• Staff explain that many of the activities they provide are intended to help children to share and take turns. This is particularly effective outside, where staff use a sand timer to help children understand when they need to give someone else a turn on the tricycles. However, some children spend too much time on their own, or with a member of staff. Staff do not consistently invite children to join other children, for example, to play with a ball together or join in with a game.
• Children benefit from healthy snacks. They are encouraged to try a range of different foods. They tell the inspector that they have eaten strawberries they have grown. Children can help themselves to water all day. They know when they must wash their hands. This promotes their health and well-being.
• The manager leads by example and acts as an excellent role model. Staff are valued. They are actively encouraged to be involved in reflecting on how the pre-school could be developed even more. For example, staff are currently considering how to use additional funding to improve the outdoor area.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children's language development even further by introducing more vocabulary during activities
• consider how staff can provide more opportunities for children to play with other children, so they can make new friends, share resources and take turns.