Bear & Bunny Meadvale

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive eagerly each day, welcomed by nurturing staff who know them well. Staff work closely with families to share information and provide support, enabling them to quickly identify and respond to any additional needs.

The environment is thoughtfully organised to inspire curiosity and support learning across all areas. Children engage deeply in their play, for example experimenting with language in the small world area or testing how far toy cars can travel across the floor. Staff repeat activities to strengthen children's understanding, build their confidence and help them develop a love of learning.

Staff's interactions are purposeful and extend children's thinking. For instance, during a hide-and-seek animal game, staff introduce positional language and counting, prompting children to excitedly ask for their turn to count.

Staff actively promote children's independence and self-care through everyday routines. They introduce oral hygiene activities and model tooth brushing. Children are encouraged to wipe their hands after painting, pour their own milk at snack time and independently store their artwork in their own drawers.

Behaviour is supported consistently and positively. Staff explore the golden rules during group time and reinforce them throughout the day, such as reminding children to use 'walking feet' indoors. Older children often help younger peers with the rules, such as by helping them to tidy up.

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

• Leaders have a clear vision for children's development, ensuring that learning experiences are thoughtfully sequenced and reflect the needs of all children. Staff promptly recognise when a child may need extra help and work in partnership with parents and outside agencies to ensure support is in place. This means that all children, including the youngest and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress.
• The key-person system is effective and staff know their key children well. They have clear goals for every child and communicate this clearly to parents and the wider team to ensure consistent and focused support.
• Staff work with families to gain an understanding of each child's background and experiences. However, they have not considered how to successfully reflect these diverse experiences in the daily life of the setting. This does not fully support children to learn about, share and value their own cultures, lives and traditions and those of others.
• Staff plan meaningful opportunities for children to engage in mathematics, both within the routine and during interactions. For example, children solve mathematics problems during group time. This helps children to develop a positive attitude towards early mathematics learning.
• Staff consistently support children in understanding the rules of the setting, so they understand what is expected of them and why. For example, children understand they need to walk inside so they do not fall over and hurt themselves. This helps children to be kind, helpful and safe.
• Staff are well deployed to ensure children are highly supervised. This means the needs of all children, including the youngest, are effectively met. For example, staff support younger children to engage at group time.
• Staff extend children's learning to introduce new language and play ideas through meaningful interactions. For example, at the role play petrol station, staff introduce the names of different types of petrol. This helps children to build on and develop their play ideas and widen their language.
• Staff promote children's independence and toilet training skills to help them prepare for school. They promote good hygiene through oral hygiene, nose wiping and sun safety activities and discussions. Children independently recognise when they need a tissue and access this independently. This helps children to develop their self-care skills.
• Leaders are supportive of the team and promote an open-door policy, which means staff feel listened to. Staff have regular meetings with leaders and access opportunities to build on their professional development. However, the arrangements for monitoring staff practice are not always fully robust. For example, sometimes, minor inconsistencies in staff practice are not quickly addressed, such as their confidence in supporting children's learning. Occasionally, therefore, children do not consistently benefit from the same high quality of teaching.
• Staff build positive, nurturing relationships with children, helping them feel safe, secure and emotionally supported. They respond with sensitivity when children are upset and ensure transitions are predictable, preparing children so they understand what is happening and what is expected of them. For example, by letting children know when playtime is ending, staff promote a sense of routine, and children excitedly remind one another, 'You've got to tidy up.'

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the support for children to learn about the backgrounds, traditions and lives of others, and to share their own, to expand their understanding of diversity
• strengthen arrangements for monitoring staff practice to help promptly identify and address any areas of support.