Beis Yaakov Creche

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at this setting. They develop positive relationships with the warm and caring staff, who know them well. Therefore, they feel safe and secure in their care. Children easily separate from their parents and quickly become engrossed in their play.

Children behave very well. Older children share and take turns without prompts. They welcome each other in their play. Babies enjoy playing alongside each other. Staff have high expectations of the children's behaviour and are good role models. They are respectful towards the children and each other. They encourage children to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children display good manners and are kind to their friends.

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They are curious and keen to try new things. Babies show concentration when playing with sensory bottles. Older children focus intently and enjoy using their fine motor skills to fill and empty containers with water. Children learn about diversity and the world around them through well-planned events. For example, staff organised an 'Africa Day' where children learned about African culture, music and traditions. Children have a variety of opportunities for active play and demonstrate good physical skills. Babies navigate their way over the soft play area, and older children eagerly explore apparatus.

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

• Staff support children's physical development well. They prepare the environment purposefully to encourage younger children to pull themselves up and walk. Staff provide babies with plenty of 'tummy time' and place resources out of reach to encourage them to stretch towards them. This helps to develop the core strength needed for crawling and sitting. Older children have opportunities to pedal on tricycles, throw balls and run freely. They giggle as they move like 'jumping beans', showing their good control and coordination.
• Children participate in their learning and enjoy a well-balanced curriculum based on their interests and the skills they need to learn. However, on occasion, staff, in their enthusiasm, interrupt children's play to offer other experiences. As a result, children are not always able to finish what they are doing. Despite this, all children make good progress.
• Children learn about healthy habits. They are encouraged to wash their hands regularly. At mealtimes, staff discuss with children about their favourite food and encourage them to make healthy choices. Children enjoy fresh air and exercise through daily outdoor play.
• Staff sing songs and rhymes and introduce new words during play, such as
• 'crunchy' and 'slimy'. Children enjoy sharing stories with staff and reading books independently. Babies babble back and forth with staff. This helps their early communication skills.
• Overall, daily routines are well planned. However, snack time is not organised as effectively as it could be. This increases children's waiting times. As a result, babies can get unsettled.
• Children gain a good understanding of safety. They know how to walk down the stairs in single file and hold carefully onto the rail to access the outdoor area. Staff talk to children about the importance of chewing their food well to avoid choking from a young age.
• Staff celebrate children's efforts and achievements with praise. This motivates children to keep trying, and it builds their self-esteem.
• Staff say that they feel valued and appreciated. They comment on the strong sense of teamwork that make them 'happy to come to work in the morning'. New staff go through vetting and induction procedures during recruitment to check their suitability and help them to fulfil their roles.
• Leaders and managers are dedicated and want the best for the children. They are supportive of the staff team and mentor less-experienced staff. Leaders are reflective about their setting and are keen to continue to improve. They have addressed previous recommendations and added suggestions from the local authority to their development plan.
• Parents are very pleased with the care that staff provide and the progress that their children make. They comment that staff share information about children's development and make suggestions on how they can support their learning at home. This supports continuity of care.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of transitions between activities in a way that helps children finish what they are doing to their own satisfaction and prepare for these changes
• review snack time arrangements for babies so that the youngest children do not have to wait for too long.