Tots Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff arrange an inviting environment that stimulates children's interest and engagement in their learning. They review the organisation of the environment regularly to ensure that it continues to support children's learning. They recognise that most children prefer to spend time in the garden, so they ensure that they have access to a variety of learning experiences both inside and outside. Children freely spend time investigating their surroundings, such as looking for bugs in the digging area. They engage confidently with staff and proudly show them their discoveries. Staff encourage them to see how many different bugs they can find. Children observe each bug with fascination, and they talk to staff about what they are doing. This enables children to learn about the natural world.

Staff know children well and have successfully identified what they want them to learn next. This enables them to use additional funding effectively to ensure that children benefit from a rich set of experiences that promotes their ongoing progress. For instance, staff have identified that children need support to develop their attention skills. Leaders have used this information to ensure that all children have opportunities to take part in sports activities led by an external company. Children eagerly take part and learn to follow the instructions that the coaches give them. This also helps children to develop their coordination and large muscle skills, which builds on their physical well-being.

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

• Leaders notified Ofsted of a breach in relation to their accident procedures. The notification means that the provider met their legal responsibility to notify Ofsted of significant events. Leaders had not ensured that the procedures for managing accidents were robust, which resulted in incorrect information being shared with parents. However, leaders have reviewed and improved their accident policies and procedures, which has been shared with all staff. Ofsted are satisfied with the steps that leaders have taken to address this breach. Therefore, Ofsted will not be taking any further action in relation to this.
• Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that aims to support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress. Leaders and staff have good knowledge of all children who attend the setting. This enables them to identify what they want children to learn next and plan for their continued learning.
• Leaders have formed a strong team with their staff. They support staff well in their professional development and well-being by giving them feedback on their practice and offering them regular one-to-one meetings. As such, staff enjoy working at the setting and have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
• Staff plan a range of exciting and interesting activities for children. This includes organising water play experiences with different resources. Children show a good attitude to learning as they eagerly take part and play with the different animals and objects. As children explore the water tray, staff talk to them about how to keep themselves safe when they go to the beach. This supports children to learn how to manage risks. However, on occasion, staff do not always consider how to develop these opportunities to support children to extend their learning further. For instance, staff are sometimes too quick to give children the answers during conversations, which does not fully enable them to develop their critical thinking skills. At these times, children do not benefit from teaching that builds on what they already know and can do.
• Overall, children receive teaching to help them to develop their language skills. For example, staff introduce new words to children during focused adult-led activities, such as describing the stones as feeling 'smooth'. They encourage children to repeat these words back, which helps them to practise saying new words. However, sometimes staff do not always use questioning well to enable children to share their thoughts and ideas in order to further develop their speaking skills. At other times, staff do not encourage children to remove comforters from their mouths, which stops them joining in verbally during group times. This does not provide children with consistent support to develop their communication skills.
• Leaders and staff are prompt to identify any delays in children's progress. They work in partnership with parents and other agencies to ensure that appropriate information is shared. This helps them to work together to support children's ongoing progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to build on their interactions to more fully extend children's knowledge and skills during their play
• strengthen staff's understanding of how to support children's language development further