Bright Beginnings (LINCS) LTD

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide children with a stimulating environment where they are eager and ready to play and learn. Children have secure and positive relationships with the staff as they warmly greet children. This shows children's growing sense of belonging.

Managers plan a curriculum that is ambitious and covers all seven areas of learning. Children are at the heart of everything staff do. Staff plan activities and experiences for children that captivate their interests and enable them to make independent choices in their play. For example, while children explore with mud in a pretend kitchen, they make predictions and test their ideas as they experiment with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to make 'potions'. Children excitedly watch and listen with their friends when it fizzes. Staff show genuine delight in children's achievements, offering praise. As a result, children become confident and curious learners.

Children enjoy spending time outdoors. Older children develop their core muscles as they pedal ride-on toys, navigating the space well. Staff support children to develop their imagination as they make up stories that include pretending to fly and jump over pretend rivers.

Staff have secure procedures in place to identify and support children who need additional help. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from tailored care and support plans. This helps to ensure children with SEND are well prepared for their next stages of learning.

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

• Staff model lots of language that supports children's developing communication skills. They introduce new vocabulary for children to learn. This helps children develop their confidence to communicate. For example, children use a range of describing words to share the feeling of different textures, such as 'slippery' and 'juicy'. They share their learning with friends.
• Staff promote children's independence well. For example, children help to cut and prepare a range of fruits. They use tongs to confidently serve their own snack. Staff encourage children's perseverance when completing tasks for themselves. This supports children to adopt a 'can-do' attitude.
• Children are supported well to complete tasks, such as blowing their nose, cleaning their face and washing their hands. Staff support children to learn the sequence of good hand hygiene. This includes reminding children to rub between their fingers before preparing snack and eating.
• The management team has a clear commitment to and passion for improving outcomes for children. Staff gather vital information from parents when children initially start about their routines and interests. They use this information to support children to settle into the setting. However, when children start, staff do not always gather information from parents about what children already know and can do to help them plan next steps in learning more precisely.
• Staff provide children with a range of experiences, both in and out of the setting. For example, children visit the local beach and care home, where they make relationships with the residents and learn about the community they live in. Furthermore, the setting welcomes visitors to complement the curriculum. For example, the dental nurse visits to provide a range of activities and resources to support children's knowledge of good oral hygiene practices.
• The management team is committed to supporting the well-being of staff. This is achieved by fostering a reflective and supportive environment. Regular supervision meetings allow staff opportunities to discuss their professional development aims and attend training courses to support their interactions with children. For example, recent training around behaviour management has resulted in staff listening to children's voice and hearing about their feelings. Staff support children to resolve conflicts with their friends.
• Children show that they are familiar with the routines that staff implement during the day. However, during some of these times, such as group times and mealtimes, staff do not support all children to follow these effectively. This results in children not focusing or engaging, disrupting others.
• Parents speak highly of staff, describing them as 'wonderful'. They appreciate the care and education their children receive. Parents state that staff are caring and encouraging, and they feel fully informed of the progress their children are making.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• gather information from parents when children first start to more precisely plan next steps in learning from the outset
• strengthen the organisation of daily routines to help children engage and focus.