Tiny Toes Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children thrive in this exceptional setting. Leaders and staff spend time getting to know children during an induction that focuses on their individual needs. Staff gather information from parents when children start attending, and they use this purposefully to plan for their learning. Children's interests and motivations underpin every activity and experience across the setting. This helps them to become highly engaged in learning and make choices in their play. Staff provide varied resources to spark children's interest and nurture their natural curiosity. For example, arrival of the post to the setting prompts a game of writing and posting letters. Children delight in using pens to mark make before putting their letters in envelopes, which they then deliver to staff in the role-play area. Children consistently invite staff into their play, and together they explore and investigate. This helps all children make strong progress, and they achieve the best possible outcomes.

Children benefit greatly from exploring the large outdoor learning environment. Staff plan the rhythm of the day to ensure children can choose where they would like to spend their time. Children enjoy doing things for themselves. Even the youngest children are able to help with putting on their own outdoor play gear. Staff adopt a calm and unhurried approach as they offer just the right amount of support to each child. This encourages children to persevere with tricky tasks such as putting on their wellies. Staff celebrate children's success and achievements, which helps children to develop as confident individuals

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

• The inspirational leadership team is highly effective and strives for excellence. It works closely with the staff team to mentor and strengthen its practice. Leaders complete regular observations of staff during their interactions with children and link this with training. Staff benefit from ongoing professional development to enhance their skills. Supervision sessions and appraisals are conducted routinely to monitor staff's progress and development. This contributes positively to staff commitment and motivation.
• Leaders provide highly effective support for staff to develop their skill and knowledge of how to best support, extend and challenge children in their play. They develop a culture of reflection and evaluation. This helps the team to discuss openly how to support children's individual learning needs most effectively.
• Staff support children's communication exceptionally well. They listen to what children have to say and engage in meaningful conversations with them. Children participate fully in small groups that offer targeted support to develop their listening and attention skills. Staff skilfully enable children to contribute purposefully during storytelling. Children delight in joining in with repetitive and familiar rhyming words.
• Staff carefully observe children's play and then extend their learning further through high-quality interactions. They maximise opportunities for children to develop and practise new skills. For instance, staff demonstrate to children how to use the sticky tape dispenser when they want to make a pair of binoculars. They offer just the right amount of instruction to build children's confidence.
• Children are exceptionally well supported by staff to develop independence from a young age. Leaders carefully plan the learning environment to enable them to make decisions in their play. They wash their hands before and after food and confidently use safety knives to chop fruit at snack time. Children are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their learning.
• Children thrive as staff enable them to develop their own thoughts and ideas in play. For example, they work collaboratively to organise some large construction resources to build a car wash. Staff observe play and then meaningfully extend children's knowledge and understanding through thoughtful interactions. For example, they help children to align guttering in order to ensure the water they are pouring can run freely into the container.
• Staff consistently support children to develop their understanding of positive behaviour. They enable children to use practical strategies for sharing the resources on offer. For example, staff demonstrate how to use the sand timer to take turns when playing with the torch. Staff are excellent role models for respectful interactions. They notice and praise children when they demonstrate kindness to others.
• Staff place emphasis on children's physical and emotional well-being. For example, they role model the language of thoughts and feelings and encourage children to do the same. Staff tune in and listen carefully when children share their emotions. Children learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Staff talk with them during mealtimes about how different types of foods help their bodies grow. Children tell visitors that blueberries are really good for their brains.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are extremely positive about the care and education their children receive. They describe how staff support not only their children but the whole family. Staff provide detailed face-to-face daily feedback and informative newsletters. They also write progress summaries each term that are followed by parent meetings to discuss children's learning and next steps. Staff provide tailored home learning ideas and activities. These positive relationships help children's consistency of learning.