Bridgewater - Early Years

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely engaged and motivated to learn at this very welcoming and inclusive setting. They are very settled, happy and secure as they balance on beams and excitedly throw beanbags through hoops. Children show high levels of concentration as they make marks with chalks and explore with water, herbs and sand. Relationships between staff and children are superb. Staff are extremely respectful, professional, gentle and kind. They visit children at home before they start and quickly get to know them. Staff create displays that mark children's achievements, both at home and the setting, and celebrate children's individual cultures and family lives. Staff work together extremely well as a team to support children's needs.

Staff are excellent role models. They provide outstanding support for children's personal, social and emotional development. They encourage children to identify feelings, such as when they are happy, angry or scared. Quiet corners, sand timers, yoga sessions and a therapy dog are used to help children explore and regulate their emotions. Behaviour is excellent. Children take turns to blow soap bubbles and share toys with their friends. Staff encourage them to be respectful, empathetic and kind.

Children grow rapidly in independence. They put on their shoes, serve themselves food, scrape their plates and wash their hands. Staff carefully model to children how to pour their own drinks. They use pictures to familiarise children with daily routines, so they quickly learn what to expect next.

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

• The setting's curriculum is very well thought through and carefully considered to meet the needs of all children as they progress through the setting. Staff understand clearly where children are in their development and how to support their future learning.
• Staff plan a wide range of exciting, challenging and often innovative experiences. This includes a visit from a reindeer and trips to a local city farm. Children enjoy fresh air in the nature garden, where they learn about planting and growing. They hunt for bugs, explore ice and dough and take part in yoga and mini-olympics.
• Interactions between staff and children are of a consistently high quality. Children's learning is supported extremely well. Staff patiently model new skills and provide clear instructions. They ask questions skilfully, leaving time for children to respond. This helps to support and extend children's thinking, problem-solving and ideas.
• Staff provide outstanding support for children to develop their communication and language skills. They use a wide range of strategies, together with stories and songs, to strengthen children's vocabularies. Staff consistently describe to children what they do as they play. They use sign language to aid communication still further.
• There is excellent support for children's physical development. Children develop dexterity and learn to use their hands in different ways as they dig, pour, fill and build. They are confident to move their bodies as they run, jump, climb and balance.
• Relationships with parents are outstanding and feedback is excellent. Parents speak very highly of the setting's staff and the progress their children make. They say their children are extremely settled and happy.
• Staff plan inviting ways to welcome parents into the setting and include them in their children's learning. Parents take part in stay-and-play sessions and coffee mornings. They make story sacks to share with their children at home and learn strategies to help them support their children's developing language skills.
• Staff plan excellent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use a range of highly effective strategies such as symbols to aid communication and mirrors to help children explore their emotions. Staff provide rich opportunities for children to explore using their senses.
• Staff work very closely with professionals involved in parenting, education and health, who are involved with children in their care. This helps create a consistent approach to support for children's learning.
• Children's progression through the setting and on to school is seamless. Leaders from both the setting and school work extremely closely together to support children as they move on to the next stage in their learning.
• Leaders provide excellent support to staff through observations of practice, meetings and appraisals. Staff expand their skills and knowledge through rich opportunities for professional development. Additional funding the setting receives helps to provide impactful training to staff on supporting children's communication.
• Leaders and staff reflect deeply on children's experiences. They are dedicated to helping children move on to the next stage of their learning as confident, curious and capable individuals.