Campden Kids Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have access to continuous outdoor learning with a range of activities and experiences that are provided. Staff introduce children to a range of fruit and vegetables, which they grow in the garden. Children learn about watering and nurturing the plants, so they can eat them for their lunch and snacks.

Children settle well in the setting and separate from their parents and carers with ease. Children form strong attachments to their key workers. Staff know what helps children to feel safe. They mirror routines from home to contribute to children's emotional security. Children understand the expectations around their behaviours. The strong key-worker system ensures that staff have a good insight into their key children. They know where they are at in their development and how to help them to progress in their learning.

Children are eager to explore the environment and the activities that are provided. They enjoy their interactions with staff who provide a wide range of opportunities for children to learn. Staff understand the importance of sequencing children's learning as children move from room to room. Effective transition arrangements mean children continuously build on the skills they learn and embed their prior learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. Staff ensure that they have a good insight into any additional support that is required.

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

• The provider supports staff to deliver a varied curriculum that is based on children's interests. Effective tracking of children's progress ensures that the next steps in children's learning can be identified. Staff follow children's leads and adapt activities to continue their learning into other areas. For example, after finding ladybirds in the garden, staff help children to create insect houses and make binoculars to go on a bug hunt.
• Staff promote children's language development very well. They encourage children to use words rather than gestures. They identify objects as they pass them to children. Staff use repetition and recall, ensuring that children's language is embedded. Children develop their confidence as they are supported and encouraged to engage in group activities and learn to speak in front of others. They recount stories that have been told to them.
• Children's physical development is promoted well through a series of action songs and movement sessions. Children use tapping sticks to tap to the rhythm of the song and follow the actions as directed. Children demonstrate a love of music as they move around the room, reaching high and low and spreading their arms out.
• Staff provide a range of exciting activities to capture children's interests. They link their prior learning from the garden to an activity about caterpillars. However, at times, the activities could be extended further to offer challenges to older or most-able children to extend their learning even further.
• At times, children may run around inside or climb. Although staff address this unwanted behaviour, they do not explain why it is not wanted or consider how to channel children's actions in a constructive way.
• Children's independence is promoted well. Staff support them to put on and fasten their coats and to try to pour their own drinks. Children are helped to blow their own noses as they look in the mirror. They are shown how to wipe and be responsible for their own self-care.
• Staff promote respectful relationships between the children and act as good role models. Children thrive on the praise they receive. They understand the use of the timer when waiting patiently to take turns with toys. Staff's focus on children's emotions and dealing with these ensure good interactions between the children.
• Staff respond very well to children who require additional support. While waiting for external involvement, staff use proven strategies to give children the best possible chance to progress in their development. Staff support the children and their families, signposting them to external help.
• Parents report on the exceptional support given to the children and their families to meet their individual needs. Parents value the feedback given at the end of the day, both verbally and on the online application, which is used to share information. Parents spoken with were confident their children had made progress as a result of support given in the setting.
• Staff feel supported by the management team. There is an open-door culture, which means staff can raise any issues or concerns as they occur. Staff receive regular supervision and support to develop their knowledge and understanding. They reflect on their practice and the needs of children. All staff are provided with a wealth of safeguarding training.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop children's understanding of safe practices by helping children to be aware of why we do things and giving explanations to help them make sense of our actions
• provide more challenging activities for the older and most-able children to make the very best possible progress.