Acorns - BP

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children benefit from warm and caring interactions with staff. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff provide positive support to help babies and young children learn the importance of being kind to their friends. Young children enjoy listening to stories, songs and rhymes. Staff build on these interests well as young children independently explore items in a song box. For example, as a baby plays with a mouse finger puppet and runs it up and down a toy clock tower, staff sing 'Hickory Dickory Dock'. In response, babies squeal in delight.

Staff promote children's language and communication development well over time. They use a range of strategies, including the use of universal signing for babies. They plan interesting games to help older children understand letters and their sounds in preparation for future learning at school. As a result, babies and children are very confident communicators. However, older children do not always show that they understand the importance of listening. Consequently, they can lose focus and distract others during activities.

Staff positively support children to become confident and independent in their play and in managing their self-care needs. For example, children learn the importance of washing their hands from a young age. They clear away their own plates after meals. Children learn about how to keep themselves healthy. For example, during mealtimes, staff sit with children and talk about the food they are eating and how it supports their bodies. They teach children about oral hygiene and the impact that eating too much sugar can have on their teeth.

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

• Staff skilfully implement the carefully sequenced curriculum. Leaders support staff to provide children with a broad and rich range of learning experiences that are inviting and promote their critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills. For example, children have fun learning to develop the physical skills needed to independently use the toilet through group games of passing objects under arm, over their head and round their bodies.
• Staff are passionate about helping all children to make progress in their learning. They show a secure understanding of what children need to learn next in order to move on to the next stage in their learning and of those who may need extra support. Staff tailor activities to ensure they are inclusive for all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language. They are proactive in engaging with parents and other professionals to ensure that children with SEND swiftly receive the targeted support they may need.
• Children are keen to have a go and eager to join in with activities. They keep trying when things are hard and do not give up when they face challenges. Young children show good problem-solving and cooperation skills for their age. For example, two children work together to move a large tunnel from one area of the room to another when one child struggles to do this alone.
• Leaders demonstrate that they are dedicated and committed. They are reflective, which helps them to identify and make improvements. Staff say they feel supported, both in their work and well-being. They receive ongoing support, including training and professional development. However, systems to monitor staff's understanding and implementation of shared learning through the training opportunities in their practice are not fully embedded.
• There are strong parent partnerships. The good communication systems in place help parents keep up to date with important changes to management and their child's key person. Parents speak very positively about their experiences of the nursery and the care and learning provided to their children. Parents feel very welcome in the setting. Leaders meet with parents monthly, and parent representatives play an active role in the setting.
• Staff understand and follow meticulous procedures in place to support children's individual healthcare needs. For example, children's individual dietary requirements are closely monitored and adhered to by staff. Staff have a good knowledge of children's individual medical needs. They gather detailed information from parents to make sure that prescribed medication is administered safely and accurately.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop systems to monitor staff's understanding of learning shared through the range of training and development opportunities already in place
• develop staff practice to ensure consistency in supporting the behaviour of older children in order to promote their sustained engagement in activities.