Water Lilies Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy being at this friendly pre-school. They arrive full of smiles for the welcoming staff, happily leaving their parents at the door since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Children who are new to the pre-school are very well supported. They quickly form strong bonds with the caring staff and settle easily.

Children move confidently around the thoughtfully planned pre-school. The attractive activities reflect children's interests and meet their learning needs. Children are curious and motivated to make independent choices about what they want to do. For instance, younger children repeatedly fill a large tipper truck with bricks and laugh with excitement as they tip them out again. Children are continually praised for their individual achievements, which supports them to become confident learners. They are encouraged to be creative and explore different ways to use equipment. For example, they are excited to use model dinosaurs to print in paint, comparing the size of footprints made. Children develop control of their finger muscles, needed later for writing, as they draw, paint and use large chalks outside. Staff frequently sing songs and use rhymes to help children enjoy language and to encourage them to follow routines. Children develop a sense of belonging to the group as they sing hello to their friends. They eagerly join in with music and movement actions and sing with enthusiasm. Children learn to control their bodies, and exercise, as they jump and dance.

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

• The manager and staff have a shared understanding of how to provide good care and education. They place great emphasis on understanding and responding to the individual needs of the children and families. For example, additional funding is used to provide access to outings, or sessions at the pre-school, for children who are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Staff have a good understanding of children's progress. They observe children carefully and identify when they need extra support. The talented special needs coordinator works closely with staff, parents and outside professionals, such as the local authority adviser, to help ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make the best progress.
• Parents are very complimentary about the pre-school. Staff continually share information about the children's activities and progress. They use a variety of ways to do this, including home/pre-school diaries and an online system. Parents praise the supportive, happy staff and like the small size of the pre-school.
• The manager is a positive role model as she works alongside staff. Staff work together as a good team. They are encouraged to continue training and updating their good qualifications even further. Staff have had recent training to help them develop children's speech and language. However, the system of monitoring staff practice is not sufficient to ensure staff consistently put what they have learned into practice. For example, at times, some staff use too many questions and do not give children time to process their thinking.
• Staff remind children of expected behaviour in a range of ways. They use visual prompts, such as large pictures and objects, well to support children's understanding. For example, children quickly stop and listen when staff ring a bell and show the stop sign. Older children use the sand timer to show when it is time to share toys. They generally behave well.
• However, at times, younger children are not supported to express themselves in an appropriate way or recognise the impact their actions have on others. This makes it harder for other children to remain focused on their learning.
• Staff teach children about the importance of eating healthy food, such as a fruit snack. Children know they need to wash their hands first to remove germs. They use their imagination and learn about teeth cleaning as they role play in the 'dentist'.
• Staff consistently enhance children's love of books and stories. Children listen carefully as staff read stories with expression. For instance, they recall previous learning as they share a story about the farm. Younger children cuddle onto the staff's lap and name the animals. Older children show good conversation skills as they discuss which animals eat hay and talk about their own pets.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and improve the systems to monitor staff practice in order to ensure they use fully their skills and experience to support children's learning and development, particularly the development of speech and language
• provide more consistent guidance to support younger children's understanding of expectations, and help them learn how to manage their own behaviour.