Little Moonbeams Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff provide children with an engaging and nurturing environment. Children quickly settle and feel safe as they interact with friends and staff. There is a calm, happy and sociable atmosphere throughout the pre-school.

Children's behaviour is good and appropriate to their stage of development. For instance, they are learning to share as they take turns to place bricks on the tower to see how tall they can build it. Staff engage children in group activities to support them to develop their social skills.

Children are keen to listen to staff read stories to them and to look at books independently. Staff encourage childr...en to predict what will happen next in the story. They make good use of actions to engage children in the story.

For instance, children join in as they talk about having to go through the snowstorm, not over or under it. Staff make good use of praise and give children time to respond to questions. For example, children talk about feeling 'chilly' in the snow.

Building children's communication and language skills is important to the staff. They make strong use of experiences to help extend children's vocabulary.Staff know the children and encourage them to take on new challenges.

Children show high levels of concentration and are eager to show off their work. For instance, they are learning to write letters as they draw and explore patterns using chalk. Staff support children as they develop their early writing skills.

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

The provider constantly evaluates the pre-school and has addressed the action and recommendations set at the previous inspection. As a result, they have strengthened interactions with parents to ensure they have a good two-way flow of communication. Parents state that they are very pleased with the support they receive from the manager and staff at the pre-school.

Staff share information through children's online learning records, as well as speaking with parents at drop-off and collection times. Partnerships with parents are a strength of the pre-school.Staff provide a focused curriculum based on children's interests and stage of development.

They offer a good range of adult-led and child-focused activities to engage children and develop their curiosity. For instance, children think of different ways to free the sea creatures from the large block of ice water. However, during some group activities, staff do not ensure that there is a consistent focus on what they want children to learn.

As a result, children do not always make the progress of which they are capable.The provider and manager are passionate about supporting children and their families. There is a clear focus on well-being and providing good-quality experiences for children who attend.

The staff team works exceptionally well together and feels very supported at the pre-school. Staff undertake regular training and receive support from other staff. For instance, the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is new to the position and is receiving support from the manager, who previously carried out the role.

Staff have high expectations for all children's learning. The SENCo works closely with parents and other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children who speak English as an additional language. The provider has made good use of additional funding to help ensure all children reach their full potential.

For instance, they are using additional funding to support children to develop their social interactions.Physical play is an important part of children's experience at pre-school. Staff provide children with opportunities to practise their physical skills inside as they hop and jump in the soft-play area.

Outside, children climb balancing beams and kick footballs as they develop their muscle strength. Staff support children, where needed, and closely supervise them to ensure their safety.Staff provide children with a wide variety of games and activities in which to engage, such as using sticky lard and bird seeds to make bird feeders.

However, they do not always make strong use of children's engagement in activities to fully extend their mathematical knowledge and skills.Staff provide children with an array of opportunities to build their fine motor skills. For instance, children carefully use tweezers to pick up objects and sort them into coloured bowls.

This helps children to develop their hand-eye coordination and build hand strength. However, at times, staff do not have all resources for activities readily available. Consequently, some children become distracted and not as engaged in their learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to have a clearer understanding of the curriculum intent so that their teaching consistently focuses on what they want children to learn make better use of opportunities that arise to extend children's interest in mathematics strengthen the organisation of some daily routines so that children do not become disengaged while waiting for activities to begin.