Abacus Ark

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this nurturing setting. Babies settle quickly with the help of caring staff and form strong bonds with their key person. Staff make use of care routines as valuable opportunities for warm and responsive interactions. For example, during nappy changes, staff talk gently to children and sing songs. This helps children feel emotionally secure.

Leaders and staff plan the environment thoughtfully to help children learn new skills. They provide a wide range of exciting play opportunities so that children are motivated to learn. Babies explore treasure baskets with great attention, using their senses to investigate different textures and objects. Toddlers focus intently as they try to fill bowls by squeezing sponges and scooping up water with spoons. Pre-schoolers carefully experiment with making marks in the sand using paintbrushes. These activities nurture children's natural curiosity and helps them fully engage in their learning. Consequently, it supports strong progress across all areas of development.

Staff reinforce good manners, promoting respect and cooperation. Children listen to instructions and take turns as they play board games. They are encouraged to help with tasks such as serving food and setting tables, encouraging responsibility. These routines support the development of a positive attitude, independence and healthy self-esteem.

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

• Leaders create a child-focused curriculum that meets the needs and interests of each age group. Staff plan activities in a clear sequence to support key stages of development. They organise the environment so babies can practise crawling and pulling themselves up during play. Toddlers build strength and coordination through daily walks to the local park. Older children create their own obstacle courses with hoops and balance blocks, encouraging movement and balance. These activities help children develop confidence in their own abilities, as well as a love of physical activity.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. Staff use visuals to support children's understanding of words. They play games like bingo to help children identify object names. This encourages children to repeat words and learn their meaning. Well-organised roleplay areas allow children to take on roles as shop keepers and customers, or builders on a construction site. This encourages back and forth conversations between children.
• The setting works with other professionals to provide specialised support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They set targets and work with parents to help children make good progress. To prepare children for school, teachers from local schools are invited to visit the setting. The setting shares information with schools, including effective strategies to support children with SEND. This ensures continuity and helps all children, including those with SEND, have a smooth transition to school.
• Overall, children behave well. Staff remind children to use 'kind hands' and 'walking feet' and explain how they might hurt themselves. Staff sometimes encourage children to be gentle and show respect to each other. However, there are occasions where staff do not address unwanted behaviour and instead distract children without explaining why the behaviour is not acceptable. This does not support all children to understand how their actions impact others or understand the importance of positive behaviour.
• Children enjoy taking part in group activities such as drama. They sing songs together and take an active part in group storytelling. This helps children develop their imaginations. However, at times, group times are not organised effectively, which prevent some children benefiting from meaningful interactions. Transitions between activities are also not always effective, leading to children waiting for long periods of time before lunch. Consequently, children become restless and disengaged, which affects their learning experience.
• The setting has a clear and ambitious vision, with a strong focus on continuous improvement. Parents value the open communication and say the setting is transparent and responsive to their suggestions. Each class has parent representatives who gather feedback and share it during regular meetings. Staff are also encouraged to share ideas and concerns through the open-door policy. This collaborative approach creates a supportive environment where children's needs are prioritised.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently address conflicts and implement behaviour management strategies so that children learn how their actions affect others
• review the delivery of group times, including activities and routines, to ensure they meet the needs of all children.