Children 1st @ St. Peter & St. Pauls

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children who are new to the setting quickly develop secure relationships with warm and attentive staff. As they play alongside each other, staff ask children about their interests at home to get to know them better. Children explain what their favourite television programme is, naming different characters from well-known shows. Children demonstrate their developing confidence during playful interactions with staff. For example, they giggle as they cheekily empty sand from a mould which a staff member has just filled. This demonstrates that children quickly feel comfortable as they settle into their new environment and meet new people.

Older children develop their understanding of the natural world through their woodland learning experiences. They independently get dressed for their adventure, putting on coats, wellies and high-visibility jackets. Children enthusiastically work together during a den-building activity. They encourage each other using positive language while negotiating their surroundings and sharing resources. Children demonstrate their listening and attention skills. They listen and follow the instructions that staff give them to safely hammer a tent peg into the ground. They show an awareness of risk as they carefully bang the peg to avoid their fingers. When they complete the task, they bound towards a member of staff and proudly exclaim, 'I did it myself, I did it myself!'.

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

• Staff recognise the current learning and development needs of children and use these to tailor the curriculum. New children and those making transitions within the setting are closely supported in their personal, social and emotional development. Staff plan activities for children to become familiar with their peers. They focus initial learning activities and opportunities around 'All About Me' and 'Our Families'.
• The management team and staff strive to celebrate the diversity of children who attend the setting. Children participate in activities to learn about the different countries in which some children's heritage lies, such as tasting new foods which represent these places. This supports all children's understanding of the world and helps them learn about what makes different communities unique.
• Staff generally recognise the importance of supporting children's communication and language development. However, some staff do not always allow children enough time to practise using the language that they have learned. Additionally, they do not use purposeful language to support children to learn new vocabulary, in particular those who speak English as an additional language. This means children sometimes struggle to understand what is expected from them.
• All children have access to a wide variety of resources and planned activities. They are supported by staff to develop in their different areas of their learning.
• However, staff do not consistently sequence activities. Older children are not always provided with access to the resources they need to revisit their previous learning. Some children do not have the opportunity to practise new skills regularly enough for them to become secure.
• Staff host a children's council where elected members take turns to share suggestions and ideas to improve the setting. This form of democracy supports children's understanding of British values. Staff act on the suggestions and requests from children. For example, they have purchased a toy vacuum cleaner which is the same model as the one staff use. Children use this as they pretend to clean during their role play.
• Children develop strong independence skills during mealtimes. Babies are encouraged to use a spoon to feed themselves. They do this with developing hand control and accuracy. Older children confidently use a knife and fork, demonstrating good hand and eye coordination. They successfully push food onto their fork using a knife. Children are learning the skills that they need to get ready for school, and beyond.
• The management team supports all staff to develop professionally, particularly those with less experience and fewer qualifications. They motivate staff to undertake further learning, supporting them to progress in their own career. Staff mentor each other and seek support from a more experienced 'buddy'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop teaching so that staff consistently use effective strategies to develop children's communication and language skills, including for those who speak English as an additional language
• support staff to deliver the curriculum for older children in a sequenced and coherent way, where children can regularly revisit and practise using the skills that they have previously learned.