Caterpillar Club & Bumble Bees CIC

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this caring nursery, where staff are dedicated to providing high-quality learning opportunities. Children have very strong relationships with their key person and other staff. They enjoy cuddles when they first arrive if they are feeling unsettled. Staff are vigilant and act quickly if they feel children are becoming distressed. During a group activity, staff quickly respond with cuddles and reassurance when this happens. Children thoroughly enjoy sitting in the tent that staff had set up and going on a make-believe camping trip. Parents comment that their children love coming and have made good progress, particularly in their communication.

Staff have high expectations for children's learning, including their independence. Children confidently get themselves ready to go outside. They take of their shoes and put on their wellington boots. Many children attempt to put their coats on themselves. They behave well. This is evident when children line up calmly and quietly to wash their hands. They know that the leader must wait on the line on the floor. Children learn how they can keep themselves safe. For example, they learn how to use scissors safely when cutting play dough. Staff remind children to sit down when they are holding scissors.

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

• The manager places a strong emphasis on staff professional development, and this is reflected in their practice. Recent examples of this have included the implementation of strategies for communication. Staff have attended training on mathematics, and they have added further opportunities for counting into the routine. Many staff are doing further qualifications, such as level 3. This helps to ensure that practice continues to improve.
• Staff have a good relationship with parents. They share information about what children have been doing and where they are in their learning. Parents value the regular communication. However, there are occasions when staff do not gather sufficiently detailed information about what children are doing at home and what they are interested in. This means that staff are not always able to plan precisely for children's individual needs or interests.
• Staff know children well and they use this information to plan what they need to learn next. They support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. For example, they work with a range of professionals to support children. They plan a range of activities to help children to make progress.
• The manager and staff are generally keen to develop their practice further. They constantly evaluate what they are doing and make changes where necessary. They seek advice from the local authority too. The manager explains how changes to the environment have improved children's concentration.
• Staff teach children how they can keep themselves healthy. For example, they give clear messages regarding handwashing. They talk to children and their families about healthy eating. Children enjoy a healthy snack, including fruit and water. They have plenty of time for fresh air and exercise. This is evident when they play outside using the balance bikes or climbing equipment.
• The manager and her deputy evaluate the quality of teaching and give feedback to staff on how they can improve. However, this is not always given a high enough priority. For example, this has not happened recently due to staff absence. Consequently, there are minor weaknesses in practice that have not been identified and addressed.
• Children concentrate well. They are highly engaged when they make play dough. They take turns to add the ingredients to the mixture. Staff make good use of opportunities to develop counting. An example of this is when children use recipe cards to identify how much cream of tartare they need. They count out the correct number of spoonfuls to put in the bowl. This helps children to make good progress in mathematics.
• Staff develop children's communication well. They get down on children's level and listen and extend children's communication effectively. For example, staff listen to children as they develop a storyline about pirates and dragons. They comment and repeat what children are saying and this encourages children to extend the storyline in their play. Strategies such as these help children to make good progress in their communication and language.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• gather more information from parents about what children can do at home and what they are interested in
• strengthen monitoring and identify and address the minor inconsistencies in practice.