Little Creators Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happy and thoroughly enjoy their time at the pre-school. They develop secure relationships with staff and their peers. Children are kind and show care towards each other.

For example, staff encourage the children to help each other to get ready to go outside. Children form secure attachments with staff as they seek comfort when upset and regularly invite them to join their play. This demonstrates that children feel safe and secure.

The manager and staff provide the children with valuable experiences to learn about their community and the wider world around them. For instance, children go on regular trip...s to the park and nearby shops. This provides children with hands-on experiences to prepare them for the future.

For example, in addition to learning how to manage money, these outings help children to learn about road safety. Staff also plan trips to introduce new experiences and extend children's learning. For instance, they take children on public transport and visit the zoo.

Staff have high expectations of children. They encourage them to be independent with self-care tasks, such as handwashing and wiping their own noses. Staff are positive role models.

For example, when children struggle to regulate their behaviour, staff are quick to intervene and support them. Children are supported to play cooperatively together. For instance, they learn to take turns and share with their friends.

This supports children to behave well.

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

Staff at the pre-school feel well supported. They benefit from regular supervision that prioritises their well-being and ongoing professional development.

The manager and deputy manager carefully consider where they can improve and show great determination to achieve the highest possible standards. The manager and the staff team have opportunities to meet regularly to evaluate the pre-school. This helps to promote the continuous improvement of the pre-school.

The manager and staff know the children extremely well. Children benefit from an interesting and well-balanced learning environment. The manager and staff use additional funding appropriately to enhance children's learning and development.

For example, they have used funding to develop a sensory area, which provides children with a calm and nurturing space. The manager confidently articulates what she wants each child to learn during their time at the pre-school. However, staff are less clear about the overarching aims of the curriculum.

This means that their teaching is not always focused precisely on what they want children to learn.Partnerships with parents are a strength of the pre-school. The manager and staff form excellent relationships and support the children and families extremely well.

Staff share details with the parents about their child's day and provide information to help parents to support their children's learning at home.The passionate manager, who is also the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), makes timely referrals and works closely with parents and outside agencies. The manager has put detailed, targeted plans in place for all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

These are used effectively by staff during focused activities. However, these are not used as well during free play. This means that children with SEND are not consistently supported to make the best possible progress.

Children develop a love of stories. For instance, they select books of interest and enjoy being read to as they snuggle up with staff. Staff make story times fully interactive, inviting children to finish off familiar phrases.

This helps children to gain an understanding of early literacy.Most of the time, staff manage daily routines well. However, on occasion, they do not fully support the needs of all children during mealtime routines.

For example, when children have finished their lunch, some children get up from the table and wander around the room without anything to do. This has an impact on children's engagement and behaviour during these times. This does not consistently support children's learning and development.

Children enjoy being physically active in their play. For instance, they enjoy riding and washing the bicycles. The outside space inspires children to explore and use their imaginations.

For example, children enjoy using resources to create their own bus. Staff join in with the children and use this as an opportunity to extend the children's vocabulary. For instance, they discuss what it is like going on a bus and sing songs together.

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 further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on staff's knowledge of the curriculum intent so that they are clear about the skills and knowledge they want children to gain during their time at the pre-school support staff to embed strategies consistently, to better support children with SEND strengthen strategies used to manage daily routines, to ensure that children's individual needs continue to be met at all times.