Little Oak Pre-School (Witney) Limited

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and very settled at this warm and friendly setting. There is a strong key-person system in place and staff know the children extremely well.

Staff are aware of children's individual needs and support their next steps in learning skilfully. They provide a safe and stimulating learning environment for children, which includes activities that capture children's interests. Children have free access to an outdoor play area, which they use alongside the well-planned main playroom.

Staff make sure children who prefer to be outdoors have opportunities to hear stories, read books, make marks and experience ma...thematical and exploratory concepts, alongside physical play. Staff use every opportunity to recognise children's achievements and celebrate learning. For example, they invite parents to share 'wow' moments and activities children have undertaken at home.

These help to inform staff of children's additional achievements away from the setting. Children are motivated to explore and investigate. They show high levels of concentration and curiosity.

For instance, they carefully use their fingers and tools to explore the ice around toy animals.Parents speak very highly of the staff team. They comment that their children love to attend the setting and the support they receive is excellent, especially when they need extra help, such as with speech or settling in.

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

Staff help children learn how to share and take turns, such as when they use the timer to decide when it is their turn to use the climbing cube in the outdoor area. Children behave well. They show kindness towards each other while learning to share resources and cooperate to play a game of hopscotch.

This activity also supports them to learn basic mathematical and physical skills, for instance, counting as they jump carefully from square to square.Children develop good levels of independence. Staff encourage children to build confidence to manage everyday tasks for themselves.

For example, children pour their own drinks and serve themselves food at snack times using tongs. They also learn to manage their own basic care needs such as wiping their noses and washing their hands.Staff support children's language skills well, including for those children who are learning English as an additional language.

For example, they learn the basic names and written words in the child's home language for the fruit served at snack, and use Makaton to support basic communication.Children, including those in receipt of additional funding, make good progress from their starting points. Staff have purchased resources linked to children's interests and use these effectively to support children's language development.

This helps children to work towards or meet the typical outcomes in relation to their age.Staff fully engage children in developing their imagination during role play. Children are animated and expressive when using props as they act as hairdressers and customers in the salon.

Overall, staff support children well when they are engaging in planned activities. However, staff do not always use effective questioning when engaging with children, to ensure they are given sufficient time to think and problem solve.The manager has systems in place for staff supervision and meets with staff regularly to discuss their practice and teaching.

These processes are not yet fully embedded and effective. There are identified gaps in the quality of teaching and some staff's understanding of procedures and routines, such as when managing the outside area and challenging children to think critically.Children are inquisitive and motivated to learn.

They are curious about new people and keen to investigate new experiences. For instance, they enjoy mark making in flour with their fingers and paintbrushes and this leads to some of the most able children beginning to write recognisable words.Children are beginning to learn about healthy lifestyles through participating in activities and experiences to promote regular toothbrushing routines.

Staff are aware of children's individual needs and support their next steps in learning skilfully. They provide a safe and stimulating learning environment for children, which includes activities that capture children's interests. Children are learning that by eating the skin on their fruit at snack time they are getting some essential vitamins.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and her staff team have a robust understanding of the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child's welfare and of wider safeguarding issues. They have attended training to support them in recognising the possible signs and symptoms of abuse, and confidently describe the action they would take if they had concerns regarding a colleague's practice.

Robust recruitment and vetting systems are in place to ensure the suitability of staff. Suitable risk assessments are implemented effectively by staff to ensure children play in a safe and secure environment.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the processes for supervision and monitoring of staff to raise the quality of teaching to an even higher level nensure staff do not overwhelm children with questions during activities, to allow them enough time to think critically and solve their own problems.