Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thrive in this caring and nurturing nursery. They develop strong relationships with staff. This is evident as older children cuddle staff working with younger children when they see them in the corridor.

Children confidently approach staff and talk to them about when they saw each other in the park. Parents comment that their children love coming. Some say their children do not want to leave at the end of the day.

Others comment that on a nursery day, their children talk about all their friends in nursery. Staff have high expectations for children's learning. For example, children in the pre-school room learn ...to discriminate sounds.

They begin to learn about letters and the sounds they make when they are ready. Children behave well. Staff have clear expectations of children's behaviour, which they remind children of.

Staff are patient and wait for children to respond. For example, staff give older children time to follow their requests to sit on the floor. Children learn how to keep themselves safe.

They demonstrate this as they hold onto the handles of the walking rope as they move from the garden to the nursery.

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

Children's experiences are arranged successfully to ensure they build their knowledge and skills over time. For example, children develop their independence skills throughout their time in nursery.

This is evident as babies start to feed themselves. Two-year-old children pour their drinks and children in the pre-school room serve the meals.Staff develop children's communication effectively.

Staff working with babies and toddlers use books and singing as a way of developing children's language. The books that staff read excite children and provide opportunities for children to develop their vocabulary. Older children benefit from strategies, such as a 'word of the week', to help them to expand their vocabulary further.

Staff build up a strong working relationship with parents. They talk to parents about children's learning and how they can help their children at home. Parents particularly value the photographs that are shared via the electronic learning journal.

Staff go above and beyond to provide families with support when they need it. An example of this is the support they give to families who visit relatives overseas.Staff provide excellent support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

A well-qualified member of staff works with staff to enable them to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff work with a range of agencies, such as speech and language therapists, and have extensive knowledge of strategies they can use to help children to catch up. They provide extra support to help children to catch up.

This helps children to make good progress.Staff in the nursery support children's good health effectively. They provide a range of healthy meals and build on parents' wishes.

Staff have recently altered the menu and now provide fruit or yoghurt as a healthy dessert option. They give support to parents to find local dentists. Children have plenty of opportunities to spend time outside as they play in the nursery garden.

Two-year-old children thoroughly enjoy climbing and balancing. This supports their physical health.Managers work with staff to help them to develop their knowledge and expertise.

Staff receive highly focused professional development and this helps to ensure that their knowledge and skills continue to improve. For example, they have developed an excellent understanding of the journey children go on as writers and readers. Managers observe staff and give feedback on how they can improve.

They have identified minor inconsistencies in practice. Managers have provided coaching and support to address the inconsistencies, however, the changes are not yet fully embedded.There are a small number of occasions when some older children do not demonstrate high levels of engagement.

This is particularly at times of transition. For example, children talk to each other and distract others as staff give out monitoring jobs or go through the daily routine. This impacts on children's concentration.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a strong understanding of child protection. They talk confidently about the signs that may indicate children are suffering from abuse.

Staff know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about children's welfare. They talk confidently about what they would do in the event of allegations against a member of staff. Children are safe in the nursery.

Staff check the identity of visitors via the electronic intercom system at the main door. Doors into the nursery corridor have codes to prevent unauthorised visitors entering.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: continue to provide support to staff to ensure that any initiatives are embedded throughout the nursery to raise the quality of education even further nensure that children in the pre-school room maintain high levels of concentration.