Lymington Centre Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and separate from their parents with ease. They are independent and free to make choices in their play from the well-laid-out pre-school environment. For example, children have direct access to the outside area. This allows them to further develop their physical skills, balancing on the stepping stones and riding on the bikes and scooters.

Children learn well, as staff understand how to provide a broad curriculum. This is well planned and successfully builds on children's experiences. For example, they learn how to make their own egg sandwiches. Children had previously visited the shop to buy ingredients. They confidently spread the bread with butter, chop their eggs and cut the cress.

Children behave well and develop positive attitudes to learning. For example, children persevere with a piece of tubing to transport water. They develop problem-solving skills when they work together and with staff to get water from the tap, down the pipe and into the watering can. They show their pleasure when the water fills the watering can, and search to find other containers as the water spills over.

Children enjoy listening to stories and taking part in small group activities. They develop their communication and language skills as they take turns and contribute. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress.

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

• Leadership and management is good. The manager has a clear vision for the setting and effectively supports staff well-being. Staff receive regular supervision and undertake training to keep their knowledge current. However, staff do not benefit from targeted training to develop their interests and to help to provide an even richer curriculum for the children.
• Parent partnership is good. Parents are happy with the care and education their children receive. They comment how well supported they are and how their children have made progress since starting at the pre-school. However, some parents are not familiar with their children's individual next steps. This means that some parents do not have all the information they need to support their child's continued learning at home.
• Children with SEND are particularly well supported. Staff identify additional needs early and seek advice from external agencies when children need more help with their learning. The manager uses funding effectively to ensure that all children, including those with SEND, make good progress, to prepare them for their next stage of learning.
• The pre-school staff work well with other agencies and have formed good partnerships with local schools, pre-schools, and the local care home. It is very much part of the community. Children take part in regular outings to the local shops, library and parks. This enhances their understanding of the world in which they live and their sense of belonging.
• Key persons carry out the personal care routines with their children, building on children's attachments. They support children to adopt healthy lifestyles. Staff encourage children to wash their hands before meals, and after using the toilet. Children confidently pour their own drinks. Staff remind children to remain seated while eating their food, to avoid choking and not to take undertake physical exercise, such as using the trampoline, immediately after eating their food. This helps children to understand the importance of looking after themselves and staying safe.
• Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Staff use praise and encouragement to support them. As a result, children understand the rules and boundaries and behaviour is good.
• The broad and balanced curriculum gives children opportunities to develop in all areas of learning. The staff team work well together, deployed effectively, to ensure they meet all children's needs. Staff interact well with the children and extend their learning through questions, encouraging the children to practise problem-solving skills. Consequently, children are independent in their play and confident to freely explore their surroundings.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• target staff training and development opportunities more precisely to meet the needs of individuals, to raise the quality of education further
• extend partnership working with parents so they are all familiar with their children's individual next steps, so they can support these further at home.