Springfields Pre-School Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff develop positive bonds with children and families, which help children to settle quickly on arrival. Children are busy and display high levels of curiosity and engagement throughout the session. They confidently explore the activities on offer, demonstrating a keen interest and concentration. Children develop good conversational skills and are keen to talk about their interests and experiences with staff. Staff provide activities that they know children will find engaging and fun. For instance, children fascinated with the seaside explore a large sand tray and examine real seashells. Staff teach children about hermit crabs, when they wonder if the shells belong to snails.

Children exhibit positive behaviours and respond well to the clear reminders staff provide. Staff consistently model kind and polite behaviour and use positive statements to help children understand their expectations. For instance, staff remind children to use 'walking feet' indoors and praise their thoughtful gestures towards their friends. Children are helpful and learn to play cooperatively and share with others. They use their imagination to recreate familiar experiences. For example, children dress baby dolls and sit them in chairs before pretending to prepare food. They offer pretend cups of tea to staff and cuddle the baby dolls as they feed them a bottle.

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

• Since the last inspection, the manager and her staff have reorganised the indoor environment and considered ways to promote children's understanding of behavioural expectations and created spaces to help children to focus. As a result, children behave well and the indoor areas are calm and well used throughout the day.
• The provider, who is also the manager, has worked closely with staff to address actions from the last inspection. Together, they deliver a curriculum that supports children's learning and individual progress. Staff regularly observe children and record their achievements. This is shared with parents via an online application and staff use the information to identify children's next steps in learning and plan activities to promote these. Children respond positively to the resources and activities on offer, spending extended periods of time exploring and playing with them. However, at times, staff do not have a clear enough intent for spontaneous or extended activities to further support children's learning and expand their knowledge and skills.
• Children enjoy sociable snack and mealtimes in the newly created dining area. They follow the routine of washing their hands, pouring drinks and serving themselves confidently. Children talk to their friends and staff, as well as helping others to use tongs to serve a range of healthy foods. They relish the opportunity to peel fruit for themselves and remember to tidy their table and put away their crockery when they are finished.
• Children have ample opportunities to strengthen their small-hand muscles and future writing skills. They delight in using markers to draw 'caterpillars' on a big whiteboard and concentrate as they make different marks to represent their legs and faces. Children use rolling pins to flatten play dough and make 'pizzas'. Staff talk to them about the toppings they could make, as well as what happens when different coloured doughs are mixed. Children pinch and squeeze smaller pieces of dough to make toppings and talk about their favourite things to eat.
• Staff help children to develop a love of reading and books. They provide books indoors and outdoors to give children access, wherever they prefer to play. Children listen intently as staff read to them in an animated way. They enjoy snuggling up on the sofa or garden bench and often request another as staff finish a story.
• Parents report how much their children enjoy attending and often ask if it is a 'nursery' day at the weekend. They appreciate the online updates about children's learning as well as the daily feedback from staff at collection time.
• Children demonstrate a keen interest in the world around them and relish playing with space and jungle toys, as well as hunting for real minibeasts in the garden. They work hard to make extended runs for balls using guttering and talk to staff about the 'homes' they are making for worms, rabbits and ladybirds in the sandpit. However, staff sometimes do not extend children's understanding further or ask questions that promote their thinking skills and help children to make links in their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of curriculum intent to ensure teaching consistently focuses on the skills and knowledge they want children to attain
• enhance staff's teaching skills to promote children's deeper understanding of concepts or topics and promote their thinking skills.