Lymington Little Dolphins Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive through the outstanding care and support they receive from staff at Little Dolphins. They are exceptionally independent and demonstrate an 'I can do it' attitude to their learning.

Children benefit from an excellent staff team, who have a deep understanding of how to support children's learning. Children enjoy an extremely well-thought-out curriculum that builds on what they already know and can do. They very confidently retell familiar stories, pretending to be eggs, caterpillars and butterflies. Children are highly motivated to join in with innovative activities. These extend their learning in an exceptionally imaginative way.

Children are highly competent communicators, who play cooperatively with their friends. They very confidently construct with sand 'cement' and bricks, and negotiate building design. Children show excellent resilience when their towers fall over, starting again with renewed enthusiasm. They problem solve collaboratively.

Children behave extremely well. They very clearly demonstrate they know the routines and the high expectations of the staff. For instance, they stomp the sand off the shoes before going indoors. Children very confidently tell the staff they need to wear their coats, as it is raining. Children exude self-confidence in all they do.

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

• The staff team is exceptionally dedicated to providing the very best start for children's educational journeys. They have identified where children need additional support following COVID-19 restrictions and revised their curriculum to meet children's needs. Children benefit from highly individualised support to help them close gaps and make excellent progress in their learning.
• Additional funding is very effectively used to support children's learning. All children have excellent opportunities and chances to succeed at the setting. All staff know all the children extremely well. Staff have a highly consistent approach to supporting children's care and learning. Children demonstrate they feel very safe and secure with the whole staff team. They are ready to fully embrace every learning opportunity in the setting.
• Staff offer superb support for children's developing communication skills through innovative activities in small groups. These highly engaging sessions excite and motivate children to listen carefully and learn new words. Children use words such as 'gigantic', which staff extend to 'huge' and 'gargantuan'. Children are developing into supremely effective communicators.
• Staff use every opportunity to enhance children's learning to exceedingly high levels. For example, they carefully consider where to sit children at lunch. This ensures children have positive role models for their developing speech and social skills.
• Staff place a very high focus on supporting children's emotional development. This gives children a strong base to develop from. Children flourish and show an exceptional eagerness for learning. For example, they are extremely motivated to try and form letters. Children show clear pride and beam with delight at the positive praise and encouragement from staff.
• Children have helped to redesign the setting's outdoor space, to provide challenging opportunities for developing their physical skills. Their input and opinions are immensely valued by staff. Children tell staff, 'we don't need your help'. They are exceptionally independent throughout the setting.
• Staff allow children's play to develop and extend over time. This allows children to develop their critical thinking skills as they explore and investigate. For instance, children made a see-saw which evolved into a balance scale for weighing bricks. Children make meaningful discoveries and show incredible persistence as they play.
• Staff have developed excellent communication and partnerships with the local school. Children learn an extensive range of skills to support them to move on to school.
• Parents speak extremely positively about the setting. They report how well the staff know their children. Parents say how staff take the extra time, care and attention to meet their children's individual needs.
• The new manager strives for excellence. Staff's well-being is highly valued and they are extremely well supported to carry out their roles. The staff team and committee have clear plans for continual development, to ensure this outstanding community setting continues to thrive.