Little Angels Pre-School Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enter the setting happy, confident and ready to learn. They demonstrate their good independence skills. For example, as children arrive at the setting, they have the opportunity to self-serve their breakfast.

They learn how to follow a sequence of actions, such as washing their hands and choosing their bowl before selecting what to eat. Children learn to link written numerals to quantity as they spoon the correct amount of cereal.Children share their ideas about a story with staff, who value these to help build on children's self-esteem.

Children invite staff to join them to recreate the story about a tiger wh...o came to tea. They giggle as they change the characters of the story and serve them different foods. Other children use their imagination as they play outside in the mud kitchen.

They use funnels and buckets as they transport water around the garden. Children enjoy making 'muddy puddle' drinks for their friends. Children are well behaved.

They understand the setting rules and learn to follow these. For example, as staff ring some bells, children stand quietly and listen for instructions about what they are doing next. This helps them to prepare for changes during the day.

Staff are gentle and calm when helping children to understand right and wrong. For example, they gently encourage children to use 'kind hands'.

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

Managers supported children and families effectively when they were unable to attend the setting during the local COVID-19 restrictions.

Parents report receiving home activity packs to support their children's learning at home. Staff use an online platform to share information with parents about their children's day. This helps to promote continuity of care.

Staff know children and their families well. They gain information about what children can already do when they start to attend the setting. Staff plan activities around the children's interests and help to build on their existing knowledge and skills.

As a result, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in their learning.The manager supports her staff team well, for example through peer observations and staff supervision. There are rigorous recruitment procedures in place to help ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

The manager regularly observes staff's teaching and provides them with helpful feedback to support their professional development. The well-being of the staff is very important to the manager, and staff report that they feel well supported and happy in their roles. The management team uses self-evaluation to identify the setting's strengths and weaknesses, to further enhance the provision.

Staff work closely with families and other professionals to ensure children who need any extra support continue to make good progress. Additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is used appropriately to provide one-to-one support and resources that aid children's learning and development.Children who speak English as an additional language attend the setting.

Their home languages are recognised and supported. Opportunities are provided for children to look at books in different languages. Children enjoy singing and listening to stories.

Staff talk to children and encourage back and forth conversations. This helps to support children's language development. However, on occasions, staff sometimes use familiar ways to say things such as 'horsey' and 'doggy'.

Although these words may help children's understanding, this means that young children do not consistently hear the correct pronunciation of words. Additionally, during activities, when staff asks children questions, they do not give them time to respond or process their own ideas and think of solutions for themselves.Staff are well deployed.

They get down to the children's level and model how to use resources. For example, staff show children how to make pretend ice-cream cones out of damp sand. Children enjoy a range of sensory play, including posting boxes and toy animals in some soil and sand.

There is an exciting kitchen full of real household items, vegetables and noodles for the children to explore through their senses.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The managers and staff know how to identify if a child may be at risk of harm, including from extreme views and beliefs.

Staff know where to report any concerns they may have about a child in their care or about staff who work with children. This promotes children's safety and welfare. Risk assessments are embedded in practice.

The premises are safe and secure. The managers complete daily checks of the setting and garden to ensure there are no hazards.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop staff's skills further, to ensure that they give children enough time to think and respond to questions during play and discussions support staff to develop consistency when modelling language, to help young children to hear and use the correct pronunciation of words.