Adventure Farm Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the premises with big smiles on their faces and cannot wait to greet the staff. They have strong bonds with their key persons and are excited for the day ahead. Children become incredibly confident, kind and encouraging. When children are feeling a little unsure, their peers cheer them on saying, 'You can do this!' They become exceptionally kind natured and supportive, flourishing in their friendships.

Children thrive in their communication and language. They learn new vocabulary while visiting their farm to see a variety of animals, including alpacas, cows and chickens. Children sing songs throughout the day, repeating actions and singing along. Babies begin using single words while looking at touch-and-feel books. Older children show an enthusiasm and love for reading. They decide to read stories out in the garden to their giant African pet snail named 'Pat', excitedly telling him about the book.

Children become physically skilful and independent. They have access to large gardens, in all weathers, where they learn to put on their own coats and wellington boots. Older children move strategically across obstacle courses they have made from crates, pallets and tyres. They discuss how to manoeuvre safely from obstacle to obstacle. Children gain a sense of responsibility as they learn to self-serve their own meals, use cutlery and scrape their own plates to wash.

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

• Leaders have now established an efficient senior team to effectively run the setting. They have improved their systems for the induction and training of staff. Their rigorous induction process and ongoing support for staff ensure staff continually improve their practice and are secure in understanding their roles and responsibilities.
• Leaders have constructed a coherent and ambitious curriculum for all individual children. Staff are knowledgeable about early education and how children learn. They observe, assess and plan for individual next steps and children make good progress across all areas of the early years foundation stage. Indoor and outdoor play is now well established, allowing all children to choose effectively, while ensuring their health and well-being.
• Pre-school children are incredibly engaged in their play. Children learn to be gentle and nurturing while petting guinea pigs, goats and chicks. They have chance to give milk to the newborn lambs. Toddlers press natural materials into play dough to make the farm animals 'pizza' for dinner. However, staff do not skilfully support babies' and pre-school children's emerging interests and choices. This does not support fully babies' high level of engagement in learning.
• In addition, older children's behaviour is sometimes adversely impacted by staff not following their choices.
• All children have access to healthy, nutritiously balanced meals. They have plenty of outdoor access, at times of their choosing. Children show great physical skill and understand why exercise is important. They learn about healthy foods in a farm-to-plate cycle. Children have the opportunity to watch cows being milked, collect their own eggs from the chickens and harvest their own vegetables they have previously grown. They then get the opportunity to use the ingredients in their play or eat them at mealtimes.
• Staff use plenty of positive reinforcement and praise to manage children's behaviour. Toddlers behave incredibly well and become pleased with their own achievements. They begin following simple and more complex instructions and have a clear, embedded routine.
• Children learn about a variety of festivals and cultures. They learn different styles of dancing and the countries they originate from. They have the chance to try culturally diverse foods.
• Parents are ecstatic with the high-quality care and education that children receive. They receive information via an interactive app that helps them to extend their children's learning at home. Leaders strive to involve the parents in their learning, including stay-and-play sessions, when parents can be involved in the day. They create a supportive and inclusive community for all families. Parents feel supported and state their children make amazing progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's teaching to follow children's emerging interests and choices, to promote further children's engagement in their learning.