Bonnie Bear Day Care

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe in this homely environment. Children start their day with a 'Good Morning' time, where they welcome everyone and say 'hello'. This helps to increase their confidence and helps them to develop self-assurance. Babies explore touch and smell through edible, sensory activities. Toddlers have many opportunities to build on the skills they already know. Older children learn about ice and snow and discuss what can help the ice to melt. They talk about different materials and what effect they have on the ice. They then have the opportunity to try this out in the heavy-duty plastic tray to test their theory.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes. There are rules and boundaries in place, and children learn to use 'kind hands' and 'walking feet'. All equipment and resources are at a low level to encourage self-selection, and children follow care routines with growing independence. Staff work in partnership with parents to identify children's routines and interests. This enables staff to provide good levels of care and education for children. Thorough settling-in and transition procedures help to ensure children are fully prepared for the next stage in their learning journey.

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

• Leaders and staff are working with an expert early years professional from another setting as part of the Early Years COVID-19 Recovery Programme. They have worked hard to produce and embed a progressive curriculum. Staff continually reflect on its impact to ensure children are making good progress, regardless of their starting points.
• Staff have high expectations for children's learning and development. The progressive nature of the curriculum enables children to build upon previous learning. Staff model new skills and encourage the children to take their learning further. However, a lack of planned opportunities and activities limits children's learning experiences when playing outside.
• Staff narrate children's play and ask open-ended questions. They model new vocabulary through play to encourage children to learn new words. For example, during sensory play, staff model words, such as 'crunch', 'pop', and 'crackle'. Consequently, children develop the skills of communication.
• Leaders regularly monitor children's progress and feed back to staff. They identify where children have made progress, and identify any gaps in their learning. Staff then put interventions in place to help prevent children from falling behind. However, sometimes, opportunities to provide more targeted support to those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are missed. As a result, some children do not make progress as rapidly as they could.
• Staff encourage children to practise their developing physical skills. Babies are given opportunities to stand and pull themselves up in preparation for walking. Toddlers and older children join in with dancing and action rhymes to help develop their large muscles. Children have plenty of opportunities to be active, which supports their physical health and emotional well-being.
• Children have the opportunity to explore their local area. They write shopping lists and walk to the local shop to purchase the ingredients they need. Staff take children to the park and local farm to give them the opportunity to explore nature and the changing seasons. Consequently, children are aware of their community and the wider world.
• The role of the key person is embedded throughout the setting. Children have strong bonds with their key person. When transitioning between rooms, the key person does a thorough handover to ensure continuity of care for the child. This supports children's social and emotional development and enables them to develop trusting relationships.
• Leaders place high emphasis on the professional development of the staff. Staff reflect on the training they attend and how they will implement it in practice. Staff have recently accessed 'Step up for Two's'. They have since been able to provide activity bags for parents to use with their children to develop specific skills. As a result, parents have the resources to further their child's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more targeted support for children with SEND, to help them make more rapid progress
• strengthen the opportunities and activities offered outdoors, to increase the range of learning experiences for children.