Little Sheep Pre-School

Activities: For example, during a cooking activity, staff encouraged children to use their thinking skills to predict what would happen next to the mixture when certain ingredients were added. This led to lots of discussion, including how to melt chocolate in different ways to get the right temperature.

Skills , Knowledge and Behavior: Younger children learn to put on their coat and boots, and manage most of their self-care needs independently. Older children learn to recognise letters and shapes, and how to hold a pencil correctly. All children enjoy listening to stories in groups and singing familiar nursery rhymes.

Communication: Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff and parents regularly exchange information to support children's individual learning and care needs. Parents are highly complimentary about the quality of care staff provide for their children.

Programs and Resources: All children develop good communication skills, including those with special educational needs. Staff know how to use a range of teaching aids, such as visual timetables and picture cards, to communicate effectively with all children and ensure they feel included.

Welcoming and Professional Staff: Staff create a warm, safe and welcoming environment for children and their families. Children behave well.

Safeguarding Training: Staff recruitment and vetting procedures are thorough. The manager monitors staff performance and provides ongoing support, for example through appraisals.

Play and Learning Integration: Staff observe and assess children's progress effectively to help identify the next steps in their learning. They use this information well to plan a broad range of learning experiences. Staff extended children's vocabulary effectively by introducing new words, such as 'solid' and 'melting'.

Transition to Primary School: Staff invite teachers to the pre-school to meet older children in preparation to support their transition to school.

Diversity Management: Children have opportunities to learn about a range of other cultures and celebrations to increase their understanding of the wider world.

Child Safety Management: Safeguarding is effective. Staff are aware of the main signs of abuse and the procedures to follow if they had any concerns about a child or to report an allegation against a member of staff.

Children's Safety and Security: Children receive regular praise and encouragement from staff, for example when helping to tidy up after play. This helps to build their confidence and self-esteem.

Teaching Personal Safety: They are familiar with the pre-school's safeguarding policy, including the safe use of mobile phones. Staff attend regular training relating to safeguarding issues, such as 'Prevent' duty, to update their knowledge and keep children safe from the risk of harm.

Nutritional Menu: Children learn about the importance of regular exercise and healthy eating through everyday routines. For example, staff work with parents to ensure children benefit from healthy food choices in their lunch boxes.