Blossoms Childcare West Raynham

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this nurturing and welcoming environment. Parents announce their child's arrival at the setting using the bespoke Blossoms app. This enables staff to greet their individual key children personally. Staff get to know children exceptionally well and create strong attachments with them. Children settle with ease. They develop close, trusting relationships with their key person. Staff place a strong emphasis on teaching values such as respect and responsibility. Children's behaviour is impeccable. They consistently use good manners, share, take turns and tidy away their toys without support. At lunchtime, children are allocated jobs such as fetching plates and cutlery for their friends.

Staff are deeply attentive to developing children's independence. Even toddlers chop their own fruits for snack using safety knives and chopping boards. Staff take time to teach toddlers how to wash their hands after they have had their nappies changed. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere of learning throughout the setting. All children get thoroughly immersed in their play. Staff meticulously plan a wide range of engaging activities. Children confidently join in small group activities. Staff adapt their interactions to meet individual children's needs. All children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, make excellent progress with their learning and development.

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

• Teaching is consistently outstanding. Staff use every opportunity to encourage children to think deeply. At snack time staff provide a menu to help children understand how many pieces of different fruit they are allowed. This helps younger children to learn about counting in meaningful ways. Pre-school children vote for which story they would like to hear. Staff help children to count how many votes each book has, and which book has received more. Children develop their understanding of democracy.
• Staff provide excellent support for children's language development. There is a strong focus on literacy and children develop a love for reading. Staff help children to remember the sequence of stories as they act these out in the garden and children make 'Gruffalo crumble' in the mud kitchen. Staff teach babies sign language and the names of fruits they eat for snack. Toddlers learn and remember new words such as 'plums' and 'satsumas'. Staff work closely with other professionals to support the individual needs of children.
• Children learn to value the world around them. They read books and paint pictures of flowers. Outside, children plant seeds and flowers. Staff build on previous learning and help children decide where to put their flowers, so they grow well. This builds children's reasoning skills. There is a strong focus on diversity. Children create resources which reflect their different homes. They celebrate their fathers and other special adults. Different types of families are fully included and celebrated.
• Staff prioritise the health, safety and well-being of children. Children enjoy nutritious home-cooked food and comment on how much they like the broccoli. Staff take children to the local park to help them develop their physical skills. Toddlers enjoy using trigger sprays when playing with water which helps them develop their fine motor skills. Staff help children to develop their emotional literacy. Children use mirrors to observe their faces when they are feeling happy or sad.
• Parents state that staff provide exceptional care and education. They value the daily communication they receive from staff about their children's progress. They comment on how developed their children's social skills are. Parents are really pleased with how children are supported with the transition to school. Despite feeding into multiple local schools, staff collaborate with individual teachers to ensure that every child is ready for the next stage in their education.
• Leaders of the setting are passionate and inspirational. They maintain a reflective culture that drives continuous improvement. Staff feel valued and supported. They receive supervision meetings and regular professional development opportunities from leaders. This has helped contribute to a highly qualified and experienced workforce and excellent teamwork. Staff are empowered to provide the highest quality care and education to each child.