Tiny Explorers Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are motivated in their learning. They arrive and are keen to start their learning. Staff clearly know the children and their families well and warmly welcome them into the setting. They provide a varied curriculum tailored to the children's individual needs and abilities. Staff place a high emphasis on developing children's communication and language, personal, social, emotional and physical development skills. Staff use different methods to enable children to communicate their needs. For example, all staff use sign language and visual prompt cards. In addition, staff provide regular story times and lots of singing and rhymes to support children's language development. Staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have manageable targets to help them make the best possible progress.

Children behave well and understand the simple rules. Staff use visual prompts to help children know the boundaries and expectations. Children that are learning to self-regulate their emotions have tailored plans to make sure all staff are consistent in their approach to help children learn how to respect others. The managers and staff have made good progress since the last inspection. They have addressed all the actions and are providing good-quality care and education for all children.

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

• There is an effective key-person system. Key persons know their individual children well and plan activities and learning opportunities to help children make the best progress from their starting points. For example, children thoroughly enjoy playing a memory game where they take turns to identify objects that have been removed. The member of staff then encourages the children to take turns in leading the game. Younger children benefit from being separated from the older children, enabling them to have quality time with their key person. They explore different sensory objects, and the member of staff narrates what they are doing to promote their language development and turn-taking.
• The leadership team has made significant changes to ensure that children are given the best possible start. For example, all staff have attended training on safeguarding and aspects of learning and development. In addition, the early years team has provided intensive support. Staff recognise the importance of enabling younger children to have tailored learning opportunities that are age-appropriate and provide sufficient challenge.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff place a high emphasis on involving parents in all aspects of the provision. For example, the leadership team asks parents to contribute to staff appraisals. Parents report that staff know their children really well and that they are making good progress since starting the setting. Parents benefit from the children bringing home backpacks with home learning, such as a book and some puppets. In addition, they provide books for the children to take home, and they can also take the hedgehog teddy home. Children enjoy talking with their friends about what they have done with the hedgehog.
• In general, children understand about keeping safe when using resources. However, at times, children run around with dolls' buggies in the indoor playroom, and staff do not always remind them about using them safely and being careful not to fall or accidently knock into tables, chairs or other children who are engaged in learning.
• When children arrive, they register by finding their name and placing it on an emotions board, identifying whether they are happy, sad or angry, which helps children to self-regulate their behaviour and understand about different feelings. Throughout the day, there are activities linked to different emotions, such as stories.
• Children learn about looking after the planet and sustainability through activities. At snack time, they put any leftover food in the compost bin, which is then put into the outdoor compost bin that they use for growing fruit and vegetables. The children then enjoy eating these at snack time.
• In general, the routines help children to follow instructions, such as at snack time when they choose their own snack and wash up their cup and plates. However, at lunchtime, staff ask all the children to line up to go to the toilet and wash their hands before all sitting down together for lunch. This results in some children waiting for long periods of time, and their behaviour deteriorates.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review how staff help children to learn about keeping safe in their everyday play
• improve transitions during lunchtimes to make sure that children are engaged in meaningful learning and are not waiting for long periods of time.