Little Meadow Group

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely happy and excited to attend this welcoming pre-school. They form exceptionally strong relationships with their kind and caring key person.

Children feel safe and become highly engaged in their learning. Children are fiercely independent and relish opportunities to help staff. They take pride in their achievements and eagerly help to take their registration photographs and other resources to the table at group times.

Children are respected and valued as individuals. Staff have high expectations for children and interact skilfully to support their development. They use their expert knowledge... highly effectively to challenge children's thinking and extend their future learning skills.

For example, staff ask children to recall previous activities and invite them to share their thoughts with their peers. Children rapidly develop exceptional language and communication skills. They use words such as 'hibernation' and explain the meaning of this when talking about hedgehogs having a very long sleep.

Children are highly motivated and keen to learn. They freely explore a wide variety of exciting and stimulating resources and make independent choices about their play. Children use their imagination and make links to past learning as they create dens.

They develop an excellent understanding of cause and effect. Children take turns shining torches inside a dark den to create shadows. Staff give children clear and consistent guidance for their behaviour.

As a result, children are exceptionally considerate to the needs of their peers and readily negotiate methods for turn taking.

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

The leadership team is inspirational. They show an exceptional commitment to continuous improvement and are dedicated to providing the very best standards of care and education for children.

Leaders and managers consistently evaluate the quality of the provision and identify areas for further development. For example, they are in the process of creating a library so children can borrow books to read at home with their families. In addition, staff have enhanced the outdoor play area to provide even more purposeful learning opportunities, such as to extend children's mark-making skills.

Staff are incredibly passionate about their roles and have an excellent understanding of the curriculum. Leaders provide regular opportunities for staff to have in-house training to enhance their already excellent professional knowledge. As a result, staff are highly effective in helping children to be active learners and think critically in their play.

Leaders ensure staff's individual training needs and personal issues are identified and addressed. Staff report high levels of support and regard for their well-being.The pre-school has a child-centred approach.

Staff actively seek and value children's views and involve them in the planning process to ensure activities are wholly based on their interests. Staff make regular, meticulous assessments of what children know and can do and every child makes excellent progress from their starting points. Staff ensure that activities precisely match children's individual abilities and extend all areas of their learning even further.

Staff know exactly what outcomes they are looking to achieve as they guide children through their learning.Staff support children's physical development exceptionally well. Children excitedly take part in daily wake-and-shake activities and observe the effects of exercise on their bodies with interest.

They confidently compare their pulse rate before and after exercise and learn the importance of keeping their bodies hydrated. Staff provide excellent opportunities for children to learn about the world. For example, children learn about growing vegetables from seed to harvesting.

They eagerly help staff to make and eat nutritious meals such as vegetable soup.Children behave very well and their concentration levels and attention skills are impressive. During small-group activities, staff motivate children to count and learn to recognise the sequence of numbers.

Children listen intently and are highly responsive to adults and one another. For example, they excitedly work out the date, adding one more to yesterday's number.Staff provide exceptional commitment and support to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Key persons provide meaningful resources to ensure all children are engaged and supported in their learning. Staff support all children extremely well to reach their full potential.Relationships with parents, carers and other professionals are exceptionally strong.

Staff share information in a range of ways. They skilfully use this information to monitor children's progress and target accurate support to ensure their individual needs are met incredibly well. Parents speak very highly of the pre-school and state staff 'go above and beyond' to provide the very best care and education for their children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a highly comprehensive understanding of child protection and safeguarding procedures. They have an excellent knowledge of the possible indicators of abuse and the referral process to follow should they have concerns about the health or welfare of a child.

Staff are vigilant and ensure the environment is safe and secure. They teach children how to keep themselves safe, for example, providing opportunities for children to learn the dangers of fire and how to act responsibly. Robust recruitment and induction procedures ensure staff are suitable for their roles and understand their responsibilities extremely well.

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