Butterfly Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive with wide smiles and benefit from the warm and welcoming environment.

Staff have formed excellent relationships with the children and know them and their interests well. Children find the activities that staff have planned stimulating and exciting. For instance, children delight in messy play as they eagerly use a variety of tools to remove vegetables from soil.

Staff sensitively join in with children's play and take these opportunities to deepen learning experiences. For example, staff model how to balance potatoes on spoons to transport them to buckets successfully. Children consequently learn and cop...y these skills.

This supports children to make good rates of progress.Leaders have a clear vision for the pre-school, which places a high emphasis on values such as democracy and respect. For example, during story time, children are asked to vote by placing their namecard on the story that they would prefer to be read.

Children also relish the responsibility of being the 'helper of the day', completing tasks such as watering the plants. Children feel valued and have developed a sound sense of belonging at the pre-school.Children behave very well.

Staff are consistent in their expectations of children's behaviour. They use lots of praise and positive reinforcement to good effect, and children are keen to please.

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

Managers and staff form close and positive relationships with families.

Parents speak very highly of the pre-school and very much enjoy the community celebrations that the pre-school organises. These include an Easter bonnet parade and a summer fun day on the neighbouring field. Parents feel well informed and are happy with the progress that their children make.

Staff meet with parents to gain a good understanding of each child before they start at the pre-school. This allows them to plan the next stages of learning effectively.Children are happy and confident at the pre-school.

Staff frequently praise children's attempts to demonstrate independence and resilience. Children subsequently enjoy taking responsibility for themselves when completing daily tasks such as hanging up their coats and putting on their own aprons when painting. When required, staff sensitively make suggestions of how children may help their peers.

For instance, they suggest that children help their friends to hold items still while others wash them in the water tray. Children demonstrate kindness and care and genuinely enjoy helping each other.Staff clearly identify what they want the children to learn.

They place a strong emphasis on books, stories, and songs. Managers carefully select a range of traditional tales, such as 'The Three Little Pigs', which are shared regularly over time. Puppets and props are added to engage children further.

This helps children to extend their vocabulary and gain a love for stories and books.Children's physical development is promoted well. Staff encourage children to be active during music and movement activities inside, and they support children to be physically active outside each day in the outdoor area.

Children relish the challenge of completing obstacle courses. They demonstrate good coordination and balancing skills when travelling in various ways on the equipment.The carefully planned learning environment encourages children to become curious and independent learners.

Seasonal items such as pinecones and pumpkins prompt children to ask questions and widen their knowledge of the world around them. Children who find group times challenging have specific toys and resources placed on the carpet ready for them to access. This helps them to remain with the group for increasing amounts of time, supporting them to feel part of the pre-school community.

Staff benefit from the hands-on approach of the leadership team. They feel well supported and work extremely well as a cohesive team. Managers reflect on practice at the pre-school.

However, staff do not always benefit from focused individual professional development opportunities. This has an impact on how well they consistently build and develop their skills and knowledge over time, to help to continually improve the provision.Children's communication and language skills are well supported.

Staff use songs and rhymes to help children to develop their vocabulary, as well as engaging them in meaningful conversations during play. For instance, when playing in the water, staff talk about items such as colanders and pipettes and what purposes these can be used for.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their additional needs recognised swiftly.

Staff help parents with any referrals that are needed and access support from other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, when required.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders follow a robust recruitment and induction process to ensure that all staff working with children are suitable.

Staff have an accurate understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. They demonstrate a sound knowledge of the possible indications that a child might be at risk of harm or neglect. This includes exposure to domestic violence or extreme views.

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. Staff have a clear understanding of the correct procedures they should follow should a concern about a child's welfare arise and what to do if an allegation is made against a member of staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: focus professional development opportunities more precisely on developing staff's knowledge and skills even further to continually improve the quality of the curriculum provided.