Best Start Daycare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive excited for their day. They thrive in this calm and nurturing setting. Leaders and staff welcome children and their families warmly as they arrive. Children are happy to see staff and are eager to start their day of learning.

Staff create a safe and nurturing environment where children are happy to explore and have fun. They have high expectations of children's behaviour and are positive role models. Staff are consistent when promoting positive behaviour. For instance, staff naturally encourage children to take turns and share during child-led play. Children know when it is their turn and play well alongside each other. As a result, all children are kind and polite and behave exceptionally well.

Leaders and staff provide an ambitious curriculum that is flexible to support all children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff plan activities around children's interests, needs and abilities. For example, younger children become deeply engaged when staff use puppets to support them to be a part of storytelling activities. Staff work with families and other professionals to provide support for children with SEND. This means all children make good progress from their starting points.

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

• Children, including those with SEND, make good progress from their starting points in learning because staff plan a rich and well-sequenced curriculum. For example, younger children use fruits and paint for printing while older children make marks in the sand. Staff place a strong focus on children becoming ready for their next stage in learning. Staff regularly assess children's progress and share their next steps with parents. As a result, children's learning continues at home.
• The daily routine is generally well planned. Children know the routine, and they anticipate what will happen next in their day. Staff plan a wide range of engaging activities. For instance, children become focused as they dance to the different nursery rhymes. However, on occasion, staff interrupt children's learning unnecessarily. For example, some children leave activities early as they are called to participate in other daily routines. This means that they occasionally miss potential learning opportunities.
• Staff support children to develop a love of reading effectively. Children listen with interest while staff read their favourite stories with animation. Children delight listening to 'Barry the Fish with Fingers'. Staff encourage children to talk and to anticipate what might happen next in the story. As a result, children develop a love of books from a young age.
• Staff are supported effectively by the management team and show high levels of commitment to their work. They express how they are happy in the workplace and their well-being is considered. Staff supervisions are carried out regularly and used to strengthen and raise the quality of education. Leaders offer staff opportunities to enhance their professional development through regular training. This enables staff to improve overall outcomes for children.
• Children become increasingly independent in their self-care skills. They develop good hygiene practices and begin to understand the importance of washing hands before meals and snacks. All children help themselves to water to keep themselves hydrated throughout the day. This supports children to understand the importance of healthy lifestyles.
• Children have daily opportunities to be outdoors and active. Children enjoy frequent trips to the local park and the wider community. Children delight when they stop and wave at the local shop keepers as they walk to the park. Children learn how to keep themselves safe when they are near roads. Children develop an understanding of the community in which they live.
• Parents are positive about the setting and happy with the care their children receive. They appreciate the regular updates they receive about their children's progress. Parents describe staff as friendly and caring and say they go above and beyond to ensure their children are happy. Parents value the support they receive to help continue children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the organisation of routines so that they do not unnecessarily interrupt children's learning opportunities.