Little Lambs Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive in the morning, happy to see their friends and staff. They run over to their key person and give them a cuddle before enthusiastically exploring their environment. They show positive attitudes towards their learning as they actively take part in activities.

For example, children develop their creativity and learn to express themselves through art as they paint at the painting table. Children are confident and well-behaved learners. They understand the pre-school routine and respond positively to instructions.

For example, when staff shake the bells, they stop what they are doing, wiggle their fingers to... show that they are listening, and follow instructions to sit together on the carpet. Children choose where they want to play. They explore inside and outdoors, and they are confident to do this without the support of their key person.

Younger children learn to behave well as they follow the role modelling of their older peers. Older children are supported to gain skills that they will need when moving on to the next stages of their education, and beyond. For example, they select their own snack and pour their own drinks.

They develop good listening and attention skills as they take turns to talk and listen to one another during group activities. Children develop a good understanding of the world around them through carefully planned activities and experiences. They excitedly talk about a farm trip they are going on as they play imaginatively with small-world farm animals.

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

The manager supports staff well, with thoughtful consideration for their well-being. She places a strong focus on supporting staff in their professional development, and ensures all staff benefit from ongoing training to develop their knowledge and skills. However, she has not evaluated the impact this training has on staff's practice, particularly around their delivery of the curriculum.

The manager is passionate about providing care for children in the local community. Support for families stretches far beyond working solely with the children in the pre-school. Relationships have been established with other professionals, such as early years outreach workers that work in the same building.

Parents are very complimentary about the pre-school. They state that they learn about their child's day online and through daily discussions. Staff regularly discuss children's progress with parents, gathering information from home alongside their own observations.

Parents feel involved in their child's day at pre-school and their ongoing learning. They discuss how they are looking forward to a family trip to the farm with their children and the staff.The manager and staff team plan activities carefully, in order to build on children's prior learning and experiences.

For example, they use books, such as 'The Hungry Caterpillar', to plan activities to teach children about healthy eating. During snack time, children discuss the different types of fruit and vegetables they eat. Staff incorporate the importance of chewing their food well, to help minimise the risk of children choking.

Staff know the children well, and overall, their teaching skills are good. They constantly interact with children as they play and explore. However, staff do not always sufficiently support children's individual steps in learning during planned activities.

While children play with play dough, staff generally talk to them. However, they do not focus on enhancing children's individual learning, for example, by focusing on introducing and helping them to learn new words.Staff recognise the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's learning, particularly with their physical development.

Consequently, children are encouraged to play outdoors. In the garden, children take safe risks as they balance across crates and planks. This helps to close gaps in children's development.

The manager has organised for outside professionals to visit the pre-school regularly and deliver active sessions, to continue to build on children's physical development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff know how to keep children safe.

Staff are supported to develop their safeguarding knowledge through regular training. They demonstrate a good knowledge of the different types of abuse. Staff are aware of who to report concerns to about children and staff, and know to record these.

The manager follows safer recruitment procedures, and ensures all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff ensure safe ratios are maintained and that children are well supervised at all times.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nevaluate the impact that training has on staff's practice and further support staff to plan and implement activities strengthen staff's interactions with children so they consistently extend and build on individual children's learning.