Little Chestnuts Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children arrive at the pre-school excited and very eager for their day to begin. They say goodbye to their adults outside and interact with warmth and confidence as their key person comes out to greet them. Children build incredibly strong bonds with staff, for whom they show genuine affection.

Staff focus strongly on supporting children's emotional well-being and adapt their approach according to what each individual needs.Children engage in purposeful play and are curious, inquisitive learners. They thrive in the pre-school through individualised support from highly skilled and experienced staff.

Staff have hi...gh expectations for what children can achieve and an in-depth knowledge of all children's capabilities.Children move very confidently between play areas and make their own play choices from the interesting variety of activities on offer. Children are inspired to engage in purposeful play, indoors and outdoors, with a wide range of resources that encourage them to be curious and creative.

For example, children independently use resources to make kites to fly on a windy day. They select a hole punch to make a small hole and then confidently thread string and pipe cleaners through these holes. Younger children are fascinated with the string and sticky tape.

They enjoy attaching string to various objects and experimenting with the results.

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

The managers' undeniable commitment, passion and determination to provide an exceptional provision for children to flourish in, are inspiring.There is a sharp focus on continually evolving and supporting staff to maintain the high quality of education children receive during their time in the pre-school.

Leaders join staff in activities with children. They make immediate suggestions about how teaching and interactions can be improved to the very highest level. Staff say they are extremely well supported, they enjoy working here and their well-being is a high priority.

Children's communication is successfully encouraged, as they enjoy an extremely rich and varied language environment. Signing, pictorial clues and the highly responsive staff team provide opportunities for children to interact effectively. Children confidently answer questions and use new words they have learned.

Staff ask questions that successfully challenge children to think, respond and say what they know.The care provided for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exceptional. Staff take great care to find out as much as they can about the children's likes, needs and family backgrounds.

They do this through trusting partnerships with parents and close relationships with professional agencies. Every achievement is celebrated, with staff showing genuine delight at even the slightest progress children make.Staff know the children they care for extremely well.

They demonstrate a deep understanding of children's learning needs and consistently deliver high-quality interactions that effectively build on what children know. Children react very positively to staff during their play and show high levels of engagement.Staff build effective partnerships with parents, who are exceptionally complimentary about the setting.

Parents are offered highly effective support and ideas of how to complement their children's learning at home. The manager runs workshops for parents, explaining how and why the children learn the way they do. Parents value these sessions and comment on the new knowledge they have gained.

Children are actively encouraged to have a go at challenges and test out their ideas. For example, when experimenting outside mixing paint, children make predictions about what colour they might make. When provided with a new set of brushes, children are challenged to open the packet.

They share ideas about how they might do this and eventually conclude that they will need scissors to cut the packet.There are excellent systems to monitor children's progress. Staff quickly identify gaps in children's learning.

All children, including those with SEND and children who speak English as an additional language, make excellent progress.Staff deploy themselves exceptionally well around the setting and constantly make the most of impromptu learning opportunities. For example, when children are discussing porridge at snack time, staff talk about the story of Goldilocks.

Later they help children to find the book and they excitedly retell the story.Children are skilfully supported to learn how to manage their emotions. Staff support them to share, take turns and develop an understanding of how their behaviour has an impact on others.

As a result, children develop high levels of self-control and an excellent awareness and understanding of their emotions. Behaviour is exemplary as all children are listened to and understood.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders follow robust recruitment procedures to ensure those working with children are, and continue to be, suitable to work with children. Staff are very knowledgeable in relation to all aspects of safeguarding and update their training regularly. Ongoing discussions and quizzes help staff to test out and keep their understanding current.

An effective balance is achieved between providing a safe environment while also allowing children to explore and take risks. Children learn how to keep themselves safe and demonstrate this through everyday opportunities. For example, as children are sweeping up sand around the sand tray they explain that they need to do this so that no one slips and hurts themselves.