Twinkle Tots Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children follow a well-organised curriculum that excites and motivates them. They learn in ways that suit their interests and individual stage of development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress at the pre-school. This is because staff recognise their needs early on and make effective plans to focus on the areas where they need most support. Children experience good levels of challenge. For example, they roll dice and count the dots, adding two numbers together. This helps children to expand on their mathematical abilities and put their knowledge into action. Children develop their physical skills well. Staff recognise when they need help to gain better control of the small muscles in their hands. Staff provide multiple activities to support this. For example, children use scissors to cut the wool and ribbon hair of animals in the 'pet parlour'. Children chose to play outdoors and explore the mud kitchen with curiosity. Children form warm relationships with the key people who look after them. This helps them to settle quickly at the pre-school.

Children are developing confidence and resilience. They behave well and demonstrate respect and courtesy towards each other and staff. Children are confident talkers who can express themselves clearly and competently.

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

• The manager and staff team have a clear intent for the curriculum. They focus on helping children to become sociable talkers who can make friends. Staff help children to build on what they already know and can do. They are aware when children's development exceeds expectations and ensure that they provide activities that engage and challenge children.
• Children have rich experiences to promote their literacy skills. Story times are lively and exciting, and children enjoy answering questions and choosing books. The lending library at the pre-school allows children to carry on this interest in books and stories at home with their families. Children are starting to learn about early reading and writing in intriguing ways, such as when the phonics robot visits. Children learn about letter forms and sounds.
• Staff teach children how to be patient and take turns when they play together. They remind children to wait as they eagerly want to say the answer to their questions. This encourages children to learn about playing and learning together as a group.
• Children understand the rules that are in place and follow them willingly. For example, children understand that they must ride bicycles in the sectioned-off area in the garden. They follow the pre-school routine instinctively and know what staff expect of them. This helps to contribute towards the calm and purposeful learning environment that children enjoy.
• There have been several recent changes to the committee team that has responsibility for the running of the pre-school. As a result, the manager has not had regular, effective supervision and support in her role. However, with the additional support of the local authority and administrator, the manager and staff team have addressed the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection effectively. This has improved the quality of the provision for children.
• Although staff know their key children well, they do not always find out detailed information about children's backgrounds, heritage and culture. Consequently, they do not fully understand children's family life to celebrate what makes everyone individual.
• Generally, parents are happy with the information they receive from the pre-school about their children's development. However, some parents report that they feel less confident to share information with staff, especially those parents who speak English as an additional language.
• The staff and manager show determination, passion and a strong commitment to their work. Together, staff support each other. The manager focuses on promoting staff's well-being. As a result, staff report that they love working at the pre-school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that there is a leadership team whose members possess the knowledge and skills needed to supervise the work of the manager and sustain and build on the good quality of the provision
• find out more about children's home lives and heritage to help celebrate what makes them unique
• increase opportunities for parents to work even more effectively with staff to exchange information that further enhances children's learning.