The Little Learning Tree Preschool - Southborough

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel safe and secure at this friendly and welcoming setting. The manager and staff support new children well to help them settle quickly. They gather information from parents about what children can do when they first start. This enables staff to successfully build on children's skills and identify any gaps in learning. Children arrive happy and are eager to join in with the interesting activities on offer. Staff know children extremely well. Consequently, children form close bonds with their key person and seek comfort and support when needed.

Leaders design and implement the curriculum well. They ensure that staff receive a thorough induction and training to help them to have a secure understanding of the intentions for the curriculum. Staff fully consider what they want children to learn during the activities they provide. This helps all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress in their learning and development.

Children behave well and are familiar with staff expectations. Staff support children to share and take turns with their peers. Children learn to be kind and caring to each other and manage their own behaviour effectively. For example, children remind each other that they walk inside and that running is for outside.

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

• The setting benefits from an experienced and knowledgeable manager. She undertakes training and research to widen her skills. The manager has high expectations for staff and supports their professional development well. She continually checks their knowledge through effective supervision and provides them with training suitable for their needs. Overall, the manager and staff are reflective in their practice and continually look for ways to improve.
• Staff promote children's physical development well. They provide daily opportunities for children to play outdoors. Children excitedly run around the outdoor spaces and enjoy imaginary games. Staff support children to develop their large-muscle skills as they encourage them to run, climb, balance and ride bicycles. Children learn how to take safe risks, such as jumping off apparatus with support. Staff plan many opportunities to help children to develop their small-muscle skills and hand-eye coordination. For example, children squeeze and roll dough and learn how to use scissors.
• Staff know children very well. They understand that children can learn a range of skills from the activities they plan to support their individual needs. However, at times, staff do not offer rigorous challenge to help older children build on their ideas even further.
• Staff place a strong focus on stories and promoting children's love for reading.
• They use puppets and props to bring stories to life. Children excitedly act out and repeat familiar phrases from their favourite stories. This helps to increase children's early literacy skills.
• Staff skilfully promote conversations and give children time to answer questions. They have discussions with children and encourage them to recall information, share their thoughts and develop their critical thinking. Furthermore, staff support children who speak English as an additional language successfully. They carefully plan how to communicate with children in their home language. This helps children to feel proud of the languages that they speak and supports their communication skills well.
• Staff promote children's independence well. They encourage children to dress themselves and manage their own personal care needs with confidence.
• Staff plan purposeful activities that build on children's curiosity. They skilfully weave additional learning into children's play. For example, staff encourage children to describe objects they find in a treasure chest. However, staff are not consistent in their support for children to develop skills such as counting or exploring numbers to enhance their mathematical understanding.
• Staff encourage children to learn about the world around them. For example, children learn about the life cycle of a butterfly and enjoy observing changes over time. Furthermore, staff provide children with activities and opportunities that promote conversation about different countries and cultures. Children learn to respect others and value their own individuality.
• Parents are very happy with the care their children receive at the setting. Staff use an online system to share information about children's progress with parents. The system also allows parents to input information about what children are interested in at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to challenge older children fully during activities to help build on their emerging ideas and enhance their learning
• increase opportunities for children to count to further develop their knowledge and understanding of numbers.