Little Flyers Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children in the pre-school are very much at the heart of the community and this supports them to thrive and feel part of something wider than the pre-school. They get excited at the thought of taking part in the village carnival and dressing up as pirates. Staff make good use of opportunities like this to support children's independence as they select their role play dressing-up resources and dress themselves.

Children are supported through the well-resourced learning environments indoors and outdoors. This support is extended outside of the pre-school as children wave to local buses and talk about where they might be travellin...g to. This promotes children's knowledge of their local area and develops good communication and language skills.

Although parents now drop off and collect their children at the gate, the children settle quickly with familiar adults with whom they have developed close relationships. Children show kindness towards each other as they follow the rules and boundaries. For instance, they use sand timers to help them identify when it is their turn to use the bicycles.

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

The manager works directly with the staff to provide a high-quality learning environment. She has worked closely with the local authority since the last inspection to make positive changes. The committee that governs the pre-school ensures statutory requirements are met.

Together they have a programme of supervision and training which supports staff to deliver good-quality teaching.Staff plan well for children to learn at their ages and stages of development and create an environment that supports this. They place a strong focus on supporting children's independence and their ability to take care of their personal hygiene.

For example, children are quick to use the nose-wiping station.Overall, staff use assessments of children's learning to plan effectively. They know children well and use this to progress their skills and knowledge.

However, staff do not always adapt their teaching to provide the highest levels of challenge for all children during planned activities. For example, older and most-able children are not fully challenged to problem-solve when creating a treasure map. Gaps in progress are quickly identified and action is taken to ensure that children receive a good start.

Staff incorporate a mixture of children's interests and what they know children need to learn next. This is implemented through enjoyable and purposeful activities. For example, children learn how to express different emotions as they use mirrors to make different faces.

There are times, particularly during group circle time, when staff do not promote valuable learning experiences for all children. For example, some children's concentration wanders during a singing and musical instrument activity.Children talk confidently about what they have learned.

For instance, they take pride in the growth of their recently planted flowers and explain what they need to grow, such as water, sun, bees and 'love'. Children have access to a range of equipment to help promote good physical development. They show enjoyment as they crawl through tunnels, climb and jump when completing an obstacle course.

Staff are quick to respond to enhance children's learning in the moment. For example, as children showed an interest in large numbers when playing outside, staff encouraged new vocabulary as they introduced the word 'mathematician' and explained the meaning.Staff consistently promote positive behaviour and role model this extremely well.

Children replicate what they observe from staff. For instance, they apologise and check that their peers are not hurt when they accidently bump into one another.Staff work well with other professionals to support children's overall well-being, health and development.

Consequently, all children make good progress and thrive in their learning.Parents speak highly of the support they receive from the setting. They report that their children develop good levels of independence, for example good eating habits and handwashing.

Parents are thankful for the tailored support their children receive to ensure their medical needs are catered for.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have developed their safeguarding knowledge since the last regulatory Ofsted visit.

Those with lead responsibility for safeguarding have attended refresher training, which has enhanced their overall knowledge. They are confident in identifying the signs that a child could be at risk of harm. Staff have a thorough knowledge of wider aspects of safeguarding, such as extremism, gang crime and female genital mutilation.

They are confident with their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe, including the procedures for escalating concerns about children or staff in the event that their concerns are not listened to. Staff manage risks effectively to ensure children are safe throughout the pre-school.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consider how best to use information from assessments to place a higher focus on challenging all children fully, particularly the most able children review group times to ensure these are valuable and purposeful for all children.