Squirrels Pre-School Rugby Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provider has made the necessary improvements since the last inspection to ensure that all staff's understanding of the local safeguarding procedures for reporting concerns about children's welfare is secure. All children, including those who are new to the setting, are happy and content in the pre-school. On arrival, they settle quickly into play with their friends. Children build close relationships with staff, who are warm and caring towards them. Staff take time to ensure they know children well. This helps them to respond to children's emotional needs. As a result, children feel safe and secure in their care.

Staff arrange the play environments and resources specifically to interest and motivate children to engage in play and learning. For example, some children begin to recognise numbers. They use the available resources of bee counters and daisies and work together to find the matching numbers. Staff give timely praise for their efforts and achievements, which helps to increase children's confidence in their abilities. Children behave well. Staff use gentle reminders for children to be kind to their friends. Children arrange turn-taking between themselves during play and begin to resolve minor disputes between themselves. Children gain the skills and understanding they need to prepare them for the next stage of their learning.

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

• The pre-school curriculum is well sequenced to ensure children continually build on what they already know and can do. Staff gain useful information from parents when children first start. This helps them understand children's prior learning and inform plans for their future learning. Staff make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum to ensure that children gain the learning they need when they need it.
• Staff provide well-considered interactions during play with all children. This includes children who need some additional support. They use a range of approaches to support children, including adult-led teaching for specific skills, as well as specific learning during play. For example, they use open-ended questions with children to enable them to practise their speaking skills while they name a range of tools in their toolbox. That said, there is scope to further consider how children who speak English as an additional language may continue to develop and practise their home language to enhance their understanding while they learn the English language.
• The promotion of communication and language development is a strength. Children enjoy regular songs, rhymes and stories that are well read by staff. Staff pause at appropriate times to help children think about what has happened in the story and to predict what might happen next. Staff provide ample time for children to think and respond with their thoughts and ideas. As a result, children become confident talkers.
• Children develop increasing independence over time. For example, they learn to manage their personal care, dressing, undressing and the sequence of handwashing. Staff provide clear explanations and support as needed to help children strengthen these abilities. This helps children to be well prepared to manage these tasks for themselves, when they move on to school.
• Children learn about what keeps them healthy and how to keep themselves safe. For instance, children know and understand the routines to keep themselves clean, washing their hands after using the toilet and before they eat. Staff include discussions at mealtimes about the foods children eat and how these contribute towards keeping them healthy. Children receive clear messages from staff about how to keep themselves safe when they use the equipment to climb, jump between and slide down.
• Managers ensure that all staff receive the mandatory training, such as for first aid and safeguarding. Staff also receive additional training about a broad range of child protection matters and other areas of interest to help increase their knowledge and understanding. That said, there is scope to provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice and professional development to continue to strengthen practice in the provision to the highest possible levels.
• Parents are happy and speak highly of the pre-school and its friendly staff. They say their children are making positive progress and enjoy attending. Parents say they are happy with the information they receive, both online and at collection times, about their children's care and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase the opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to use their home language to help aid their understanding
• provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice and professional development to continue to raise the quality of provision to the highest possible levels.