Little Gems Pre-School - Chandlers Ford

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at pre-school.

They arrive with enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn. Staff provide children with a warm welcome and show genuine interest as children share their news. This helps children feel valued and secure.

Children have lots of opportunities to learn about their feelings. For example, children use colours to identify specific emotions and explore what these might feel like inside their body. They form meaningful friendships as they recognise and respond to the feelings of others with kindness and care.

Staff use routine activities to extend children's understanding o...f number. For instance, staff act on children's interest in playing the role of 'teacher' as they prepare to take the register. Children count the number of teachers and children present.

Staff support children to compare their findings to decide whether there are more teachers than children. This helps children start to make connections between number and value. Staff provide children with a rich set of experiences that teach them about the world around them.

For example, children learn how to care for living things as they hatch ducklings and watch them grow. Children start to gain an understanding of what makes them unique as they share their likes and dislikes. For instance, while sorting play food, two children discovered that they both eat cheese but for different meals.

Children giggle as they make new discoveries about each other.

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

Staff benefit from regular supervision that is supportive and successful at developing their knowledge and skills. Staff who take on new lead roles receive regular coaching from more experienced colleagues.

This helps develop their confidence and skills, while strengthening the provision for children, particularly those who need it most. This is reflected in the quality of teaching and the progress children make.Staff support children's developing communication skills by modelling language, commentating on play and repeating mispronounced words correctly.

Staff adapt their language to support children's differing needs. For example, children who are at an earlier stage in their language development learn key words to help them communicate their basic needs. Those who are confident talkers learn new vocabulary, such as 'stomp', 'sushi' and 'pentagon'.

Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, learn to be effective communicators.Children gain self-confidence and make connections with previous experiences as they immerse themselves in imaginative play. For example, children use a range of resources to create an ice-cream shop in the garden.

They announce when the shop is open and record orders on a clipboard. Children proudly present their ice-cream concoctions to their friends.Staff help children learn the importance of keeping their bodies fit and healthy.

For instance, children learn about healthy food as they discover what is inside their lunch box. Through discussion, they learn that some foods give them energy and others help to keep their bodies well. This helps children gain the knowledge they will need to make healthy choices as they grow.

Children gain good levels of independence. For instance, older children tidy up after themselves with ease. They put their own belongings away and fetch their own lunch boxes.

Children persevere as they practise new techniques, such as opening food packets. Staff provide younger children with commentary as they dress children after nappy changes. This helps children become familiar with dressing routines in preparation for future steps in learning.

Staff model positive and respectful behaviour and promote the rules consistently. This provides children with clear expectations for their behaviour. Children enjoy each other's company.

They take turns and remind one another that 'sharing is caring' and when to use 'gentle hands'. However, staff do not always consider the space available when planning popular activities. This means that areas can become crowded, resulting in occasional conflict.

Partnership working is effective. Parents receive regular updates on their children's progress, as well as information on what children will be learning next. Parents speak highly of the care their children receive, as well as the progress they make across all areas of learning.

Staff maintain close contact with other professionals involved in the children's learning and care. They share targets and approaches to ensure consistency for the children. This helps all children develop the skills they will need in preparation for their eventual move to school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff regularly update their safeguarding knowledge through training and information-sharing sessions. Safeguarding display boards provide staff with quick reference guides and information on next steps to take in the event of a child welfare concern.

Staff demonstrate secure understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. For example, they confidently explain who to contact should they have a concern about a member of staff's conduct or when needing to escalate their concerns further. This helps keep children safe from potential harm.

The manager and staff regularly review the environment for hazards and use information gathered from accidents and incidents to strengthen risk assessments and practice. The environment meets the safety and developing needs of children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the organisation of learning areas so that children are able to move freely and engage successfully in activities.

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