Little Rascals Pre-Prep

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and settled, including children new to the setting. They make good use of cosy areas to relax and rest.

Children receive a warm welcome from staff when they arrive each day. This helps them to feel confident to separate from their parents easily. Children benefit from plenty of praise and encouragement from staff, which positively promotes their confidence and self-esteem.

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the company of familiar staff, who care for them well.Staff have high expectations of all children. They give consistent messages and act as positive role models.

Chil...dren behave well, are polite and well mannered. Any gaps in children's learning and development, such as lack of confidence, close quickly, including those which may have happened due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. For example, as many children have been unable to travel, staff have planned the indoor environment and activities to improve children's understanding of other countries.

Staff share home learning suggestions with parents to support all children to progress in their learning and development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have kept parents up to date and involved in their child's learning using secure online platforms.

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

Staff provide a stimulating environment for children to learn and play.

The bright and well-resourced rooms provide children with the space to explore and lead their own play. This successfully promotes their independence. Resources are on low shelves for children to access independently and are changed regularly to maintain children's curiosity.

Staff consider children's interests when selecting resources and planning activities. For example, children develop their imaginations and writing skills when taking orders in the coffee shop role play area.Children develop good levels of vocabulary as staff make excellent use of opportunities to introduce new words, such as 'cocoon' and 'chrysalis'.

Staff extend children's thinking and problem-solving skills effectively by asking questions and prompting memory recall. Children can follow instructions and demonstrate good listening skills. This is shown, for example, as they successfully play a whispering game with a staff member.

Children are self-assured and inquisitive learners. For instance, they confidently chat with visitors, asking why they are there and what they are doing.Leaders are committed to improving practitioners' knowledge and skills.

This helps to ensure children receive high-quality learning experiences. For example, when gaps in children's mathematical development arose, the manager arranged for staff to attend relevant mathematical training. As a result, children have made progress in their counting skills.

Leaders support staff to manage their workload and to maintain their well-being, with effective supervision processes.Children benefit from the many ways staff teach them about healthy lifestyles. They thoroughly enjoy the nutritious snacks and home-made meals provided by the staff.

Furthermore, they participate in exercise that promotes their physical development well. For example, they refine their balancing and stretching skills during an outdoor yoga activity.Leaders have established strong partnerships with outside agencies, which helps prepare children for what comes next.

Leaders work closely with local schools to share information to ensure children's needs are met from the outset. There are good processes in place to support children when settling in and moving rooms within the setting. However, some daily routines are too long.

Therefore, children become restless and are not engaged in learning.Children show high levels of independence, such as taking themselves to the toilet and serving their own food at lunchtime. Staff support children to understand the rules and boundaries of the setting, which helps to develop their social skills.

They are kind to each other, share resources and take turns. For example, they work together to mix up the ingredients to make gingerbread men.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe. They know the indicators of child abuse and the processes to follow if they have concerns about children's welfare. The premises are safe and secure.

Staff supervise children closely, indoors and outside, to ensure children's safety at all times. The management team have effective processes in place to ensure the ongoing suitability of staff to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review and develop the organisation of daily routines, such as lunchtimes, to reduce waiting times and to keep children engaged in learning.