Chard NNI/Schools Out

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children make good progress at this setting. Their individual needs are the absolute priority of the staff. The passionate manager and her professional team know the children exceptionally well. They understand what motivates children and what additional support they may need to achieve the best possible outcomes. They use this detailed knowledge to provide good-quality learning experiences for the children who engage well with what the setting has to offer. Children are well prepared for school and later learning.

The setting has developed an inclusive and well-sequenced curriculum. Staff are clear about what they want children to know and be able to do. There is a strong emphasis on children's language development and well-being. Children develop trusting attachments with the caring and attentive staff who offer reassurance and cuddles. Children seek out their friends to play games of their choosing, using their imaginations as they pretend to cook together or set up camps in boxes. Staff provide children with consistent strategies for managing conflict as they encourage them to say, 'No thank you. I don't like it.' This helps children to learn to respect one another and to feel safe in the setting.

Staff are well trained in using a range of strategies to support children's communication skills. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, benefit from this. Children become confident talkers. They enthusiastically tell visitors about how they care for the nursery pets, explaining what different foods the guinea pigs eat, for instance. Younger children recognise the sound of an emergency vehicle as it passes. They point to the road and copy the sound it makes. Staff quickly respond, saying 'ambulance' and children repeat the word back. Staff and children have some lovely conversations with one another in this 'one-big-family' setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• recognise and make use of opportunities in children's play for them to solve problems for themselves.