Adventure Play Daycare

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children benefit from a warm and welcoming environment where they are valued and respected. Leaders and staff recognise children as unique individuals and generally tailor learning to meet their specific needs. Leaders and staff communicate effectively with parents and carers, listening to them and sharing children's next steps. For example, staff gather information from parents about the words babies are learning at home. They typically reinforce these through planned interactions and experiences throughout the day.

Leaders and staff have an in-depth knowledge of each child in the setting. This enables them to understand each child's strengths, interests and any potential barriers to their learning. Leaders understand the next steps of their most vulnerable children and use funding effectively to provide experiences and resources that support their development. Leaders and staff provide meaningful opportunities to assess children's learning through naturally occurring daily routines. For example, staff use snack times to check children's understanding of colours.

Leaders and staff build positive relationships with families, ensuring that they work together to achieve the best possible outcomes for children. This approach is reflected in positive feedback from parents. They praise the setting's home-from-home ethos and the tailored support provided to families during settling-in sessions.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Children benefit from regular outings into the local community that broaden their understanding of the world and support learning through direct and meaningful experiences. For example, when learning about different animals, children visit a local zoo to experience this first hand. Leaders and staff consistently promote children's communication and language development through meaningful interactions and conversations. Staff in the baby room respond conversationally to babies' babbling and narrate their play. Staff in the toddler and pre-school room extend children's vocabulary. They model more complex language by repeating and expanding on children's sentences.

Children typically engage well in adult-led activities that support their learning and development. However, it is not always clear which member of staff is leading the activity. As a result, some children become distracted by interactions with other adults. This means that children do not fully benefit from the intended learning opportunities.

Staff incorporate mathematical learning throughout children's day. Opportunities for mathematical learning are embedded in children's play and daily routines. For example, children receive encouragement to count their friends during circle time and calculate how many scoops are needed to fill containers in the sand tray.

Children typically access activities that support their development. However, staff do not consistently understand how these activities contribute to the sequential development of children's knowledge and skills within the curriculum. Consequently, children do not always receive learning experiences that help them develop and deepen their understanding over time.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children, including those with any potential barriers to their learning, typically achieve well across all areas of the curriculum from their individual starting points. They are confident to explore new activities and make connections between new learning and their existing knowledge. For example, children independently choose the story of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' and use resources from the role-play area to recreate the story with staff.

Children persevere when faced with new tasks, show pride in their achievements and are eager to share their success with others. For example, children happily tell staff they 'did it' when completing a collage of a jellyfish. From a young age, children develop independence and manage their own needs in an age-appropriate way. Babies practise self-feeding skills, while toddler and pre-school children independently wash and clear away their plates after lunch.

Children typically develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to support the next stage of their learning. For example, children in the baby room access scooping activities that support the development of fine motor skills. This helps to prepare them for the more complex skills they will require as they move into the toddler and pre-school room.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have created a caring and positive environment in which children are typically given consistent and clear expectations of behaviour. Staff speak to children at eye height and give them specific praise. This helps to build children's confidence, self-esteem and understanding of their own learning. Children generally behave well and respect and enjoy supporting each other. For example, toddler and pre-school children instinctively hand out plates during snack times and children enthusiastically share books and toys with each other. Children understand expectations and follow familiar routines. For example, they happily follow the lunchtime routine and demonstrate increasing independence. For instance, children manage tasks such as collecting their food, eating with their peers and joining in with adult-led discussions about healthy eating.

Relationships between staff and babies are nurturing, allowing babies to feel safe, happy and secure. For example, staff support babies to persevere as they learn to push balls through a hole. They respond warmly to babies' successes and provide time for them to practise and build their confidence. Parents and carers share positive comments about the bonds formed between children and their key persons. Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance. They work with families to support children to return and settle back into the setting if needed after longer periods of absences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children receive nurturing care that meets their individual needs. As a result, children across the setting feel safe, secure and happy to explore. For example, children in the baby room reach for familiar adults when seeking comfort and children in the toddler and pre-school room bring books to staff and invite them to share stories together. Leaders place an emphasis on the emotional wellbeing of both children and their families. For example, leaders tailor the length of settling-in sessions to best meet the needs of individual children.

Mealtimes provide valuable opportunities for social interaction. Children from both rooms eat together, while staff join them to model positive table manners and healthy eating behaviours. Staff encourage children to explore and taste new foods at mealtimes. Children receive specific praise for trying unfamiliar foods, while familiar options remain available to ensure that they eat well and enjoy a positive mealtime experience. Leaders ensure that children are offered a broad variety of healthy foods at both snack time and lunchtime.

Leaders and staff understand the importance of physical development and ensure that children have access to daily physical activity. For example, children spend time in soft play and take part in walks in the local community.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are proactive, committed and passionate about providing a setting in which children are respected, cared for and valued as unique individuals. Staff speak positively about working at the setting. They report that they feel supported and valued as members of the team. Leaders provide staff with ongoing opportunities for training and professional development. Professional development is typically purposeful and aligned with the needs of the setting. For example, leaders ensure that staff working in the baby room have completed relevant training to strengthen their knowledge of the care and development of babies before taking on responsibilities in the room. Leaders also ensure that staff receive frequent supervision sessions, which supports their wellbeing. However, leaders do not consistently use supervision to support staff's professional development. Consequently, staff do not always receive targeted support to deepen their understanding of the curriculum, which means that children's knowledge and skills are not consistently built upon as effectively as they could be.

Parents and carers speak positively about the warm and supportive environment in the setting. They comment their children develop friendships, empathy, independence and confidence. Parents feel there is an effective open line of communication. Leaders generally work closely with parents to share information about their children's learning and development. Leaders seek parents' knowledge of their children. They use this information to provide a consistent approach between the home and setting.