Lilliput Pre-School Iver

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The setting operates from the village hall. They have recently had some staff leave, meaning there are fewer qualified staff to work with the children and support their learning. Although the required ratios are met, the setting does not have sufficient staff to organise the children, including those with special education needs and or/disabilities, to meet their learning needs.

Staff plan and provide a variety of activities, linking to all areas of the curriculum. However, they do not use what they know about the children's development to plan and identify the skills and knowledge they want individual children to learn. Therefore..., the teaching does not target children's learning needs well enough.

Children generally behave well and most remain engaged, particularly where activities are those they enjoy, such as bucket time. All children arrive happy and ready to learn. They concentrate as they create pictures of flowers, using paint and other materials.

Some children draw more detailed pictures, asking staff to display their work on the creative board. There are generally good levels of engagement. Staff sit with children and ask them to 'catch a fish'.

Children concentrate as they hold their fishing rods and get excited when they catch the magnetic fish.

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

Staff supervision and monitoring of practice are not focused enough to identify and target professional development for improving the overall quality of education that is provided. Staff meet regularly as a team to discuss the day ahead and the activities they intend to provide.

Due to current staffing arrangements, staff struggle to take children to play outside daily because some children require a higher ratio to ensure their safety. However, staff do provide opportunities for children to develop their physical skills inside. For instance, they dance around following simple actions to the songs they know and like.

All staff know the children very well and support their care and well-being. Staff plan a variety of activities that link to themes, festivals and celebrations throughout the year. However, the planning of the curriculum does not target children's learning well enough to help them make good progress in their development.

For example, activities do not identify what individual children need to learn from them.The organisation of the environment does not consistently support children's learning or their individual needs. All children are cared for in one room, which enables the provider to meet the required ratios due to staffing issues.

However, this means that during parts of the day, the room becomes too noisy for some children.Staff supervise children well to keep them safe. They sit with the children while they eat and accommodate their individual needs.

Staff have a good understanding of child protection and implement effective procedures to monitor children who may be at risk of harm. Children participate in fire drills, usually at the same time as the school that is next door. Staff monitor the number of children they have in each day to ensure that the ratios are correct and all children are accounted for.

They implement good hygiene procedures when changing children's nappies.Staff use planned activities, such as 'bucket time', to target children's language development. They repeat the simple vocabulary they want children to learn, such as 'big' and 'small' and 'in' and 'out'.

Children clap along to songs and follow simple actions in readiness to celebrate the graduation of the children going to school. This helps to increase their vocabulary and extend their language skills.Staff encourage children to learn good manners using the 'golden rules', such as using their 'kind hands' when playing with friends.

Staff promote children's independence skills in readiness for school during mealtimes. For example, children open their lunch boxes, put their rubbish in the bin when finished and put their tissues in the bin when they wipe their noses.Partnership with parents is good.

They confirmed the communication between them and the staff about the care and development of their child is effective. Parents appreciate the help and support the staff and the managers provide for them, particularly around seeking help for children who have additional needs. Parents confirm the pre-school is a big part of their life, and they feel confident in asking for support if they need it.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date use children's next steps in their learning to plan the early years foundation stage curriculum to target the skills and knowledge they need to learn to progress in their development 09/09/2024 improve the procedures for the supervision and monitoring of staff's practice, ensuring that there is an opportunity to identify and address any training needs 09/09/2024 review the organisation of the environment to ensure that it meets the learning and care needs of all children and the noise level is reduced 09/09/2024 provide regular opportunities for children to have fresh air and play outside every day.

09/09/2024