Anne's House Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show they are safe and secure in this caring and nurturing environment that staff create. Babies arrive and beam with happiness when familiar staff greet them. Toddlers who have recently started at the nursery enter the playroom with confidence and seek favoured activities staff have available for them. The oldest children arrive with excitement ready for their day and confidently say goodbye to parents. Parents leave knowing their children are happy and well cared for.

The new leaders work closely with staff to develop and implement a well-sequenced curriculum. Staff use their monitoring and assessment process to help them identify what children need to learn next and use children's interests to create activities to support this. Babies and toddlers develop their self-help skills ready for their next stage of learning when staff support them to wash their hands ready for mealtimes. Older children develop their hand muscles ready for early writing when they squeeze hair clips while playing 'hairdressers' with staff and their friends. Staff praise children for having a go and encourage them to persist when they struggle to achieve.

Children behave well and create good relationships with others. Babies share wooden bricks together when they build towers. Toddlers work together in the garden to find the toy bugs in the mud. They excitedly share their achievement with staff when they find one. Older children help each other. When they see a friend needs an extra picture to match during a sorting activity, they hand their friend the piece they need. Children smile with delight at the help they receive.

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

• The newly appointed leadership team continues to work hard to support staff to deliver good-quality teaching. Leaders have sought support from the local authority and delivered training to upskill the staff. Leaders are aware there is still work to do and are continuously reflecting and adapting their practice to best meet children's needs. Staff report that they feel very well supported by leaders and that the change has been very beneficial to all who attend.
• Leaders continue to work with staff to develop an effective curriculum that builds on what children already know and what they need to learn next. Staff in the baby room nurture babies' social skills and develop their communication by talking to them and commenting on their play. However, those working with toddlers and pre-school children do not always think about children's stage of development when considering their next steps for learning. For example, at times, staff focus on developing children's colour and number skills before considering their social interactions and communication skills. The curriculum is not always well sequenced, and activities are, at times, not achievable or too easy for children and they become disengaged with learning.
• Parents report that their children are well cared for and staff are very friendly and approachable. Parents say their children love to attend and have formed good relationships with staff. However, leaders and staff do not always work closely with parents to help them understand what their children are learning while at nursery. Staff do not make it clear what children's next steps for learning are and how parents can support their children's learning at home.
• Leaders and staff identify if children have any gaps in their development and work with parents and external agencies to help close these. External professionals visit the nursery to share strategies and ideas to help staff support children with additional learning needs. Staff implement these strategies and ideas with all children who need them to help them make progress in their learning and have a positive experience at the nursery.
• Staff are good role models for children. They speak to children with respect and are mindful of their needs. However, at times, staff in the toddler and pre-school room do not give children further challenge, allowing them time to think for themselves. For example, when staff ask toddlers to blow on their lunch, they do not ask children why they think this is important or explain why. When pre-school children engage in an activity about recycling, staff do not ask children why we recycle to get them thinking even further. Staff do not use every opportunity to build on what children already know and get them to use their own ideas.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of the curriculum so that they are clear about what they want children to learn next and how they are going to help children achieve this
• develop links with parents, sharing more information on children's next steps and ideas of how parents can extend children's learning at home
• support staff to use every opportunity to challenge children to think for themselves and build on what they already know.