Tickleford Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and separate from their parents with ease. Staff support children to settle well, and they place a strong focus on children's happiness. For example, they encourage children to explore the range of toys in the safe and secure environment. 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, some children take part in group activities to help them develop their communication and language skills. Other children develop their physical skills as they take part in an obstacle course, crawling through tunnels and balancing on beams.

Behaviour is good and children show positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy music and movement sessions and confidently wiggle their bodies to the sounds. Children confidently join in with songs. They follow instructions as they bang their sticks. This helps to develop their coordination and further increases their vocabulary.

Children enjoy looking at photos of themselves and recall when they had butterflies in the pre-school. The talk about the caterpillars becoming 'big' and then making a cocoon. This demonstrates that children have remembered their previous experiences. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points.

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

• Leadership and management are strong. The manager has a good understanding of the local area and the needs of the community. He has a clear vision for the future and continually strives to develop the facilities. For example, since the last inspection, changes made to the building allow children to be outside in all weathers due to the installation of heating and water. Staff report that their well-being is good and they feel very supported. They receive regular supervision sessions that focus on their professional development. This helps to ensure they remain knowledgeable in their roles.
• Partnership with other providers is strong. For example, the manager works effectively with other agencies and local schools to ensure children receive the best support, tailored to meet their needs. As a result, children's transitions to other settings are effective and well planned. The manager uses funding well to support individual children to achieve the best outcomes. For example, funding is used for staff training to increase their knowledge and skills and also to purchase resources to support individual children. Parents speak highly of the setting, saying that their children are settled and that the pre-school 'feels like family'.
• Staff provide children with many opportunities to lead a healthy lifestyle. For example, they encourage children to wash their hands regularly, and they provide nutritious meals and snacks. However, on occasions, children have to wait for snack time and they start playing with the toys again. This means children's hands are no longer clean. Staff do not always explain to children why handwashing is important and how this keeps them safe and healthy.
• Staff do not always use snack times and mealtimes as learning experiences. For example, children do not have opportunities to be independent or make choices, as staff serve food to them. In addition, staff show children different fruits and ask what they are like. However, staff do not explore children's understanding further by rephrasing questions when children do not respond. As a result, children do not benefit fully from this experience.
• Staff plan many opportunities for children to develop their social skills with the variety of equipment and resources. For example, children show perseverance as they work together cooperatively to move the logs around outside. They smile at each other as they get the logs where they want them to be. This gives children a sense of achievement and satisfaction.
• Staff are sensitive to children's needs. For example, staff notice when children do not have aprons on at the water tray. They say, 'I notice that you haven't got an apron, would you like me to get you one?' When children struggle to manage their feelings, staff follow them and check that it is okay to sit with them. They support children to come back to the activity. This helps children to feel safe and secure in their surroundings.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to promote children's understanding of how to adopt healthy practices at all times
• enhance the opportunities for children to further develop their independence skills during snack times and mealtimes
• develop the effectiveness of staff questioning techniques to encourage children to think more for themselves.