Clowns Childrens Centre Clay Cross

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate secure attachments with staff as they confidently move around the setting. They make good progress and have a consistently positive attitude towards learning. Children are highly motivated to join in with planned activities. For example, pre-school children are keen explorers. They demonstrate good problem-solving skills as they decide with each other the best place to sprinkle birdseed. They excitedly search the sky and trees for birds, using their cardboard binoculars. Staff stretch children's development by providing them with a visual reference sheet, where children then use their observational skills to identify, match and count the different birds. Children are very eager to share their findings with staff and each other.

Children are well prepared for their future success. They keenly engage with the stimulating environment and the good range of learning resources. They show excellent engagement levels with their chosen activities. For example, toddlers show high levels of concentration as they investigate cornflour and experiment with ways to make the mixture change from a solid to a liquid. They develop small-muscle skills as they learn to handle tools while they participate in making patterns and shapes in the mixture. Staff and children talk together about how the cornflour feels, where children hear new vocabulary such as 'gooey' and 'gloopy'.

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

• The support children receive from staff to develop their communication and language skills is good. Babies confidently chatter and babble when staff speak clearly to them to introduce new words. Babies show what they have learned by attempting to sing familiar rhymes to staff. Toddlers become confident speakers as they chat to each other about what they eat at home. Pre-school children are keen to engage in story time, where staff use effective questioning techniques to encourage them to suggest ideas and predict what will happen next.
• Staff provide many opportunities for children to be physically active. For example, older babies display high levels of confidence as they are supported to master climbing a small slide. Toddlers eagerly line up on the soft-play steps and climb them with ease, sliding down the other side with delight. Staff introduce new challenges to encourage pre-school children to be agile and confident, where they learn to balance on planks and race each other on tricycles.
• Staff understand how to implement the nursery's curriculum to help children to continually learn and gain further knowledge. They know children well and identify their interests, plus any additional targets that individual children may have. This helps staff to plan activities that engage children very well in learning. However, very occasionally, staff do not closely consider the needs of some children when they are grouped together for activities and routines.
• Children are well supported for the next chapter in their education. Babies are encouraged by staff to be independent. For example, they feed themselves and clean their own faces after snack time. Toddlers are given choices about their play, and fetch their own drinks. Pre-school children are given opportunities to put on their own coats, serve themselves at mealtimes and clear away their plates and cups when they have finished eating.
• Staff consistently model positive behaviours to children. As a result, children behave very well and use their manners. Children know the nursery routines well and understand why they are there. They are highly respectful and show consideration for others. Children demonstrate high levels of perseverance. For example, toddlers keep trying until all the trees are stood up for the dinosaurs to eat.
• The nursery provides healthy meals for the children. Staff speak to parents about healthy eating, encourage children to wash hands before meals and provide access to fresh drinking water. However, at mealtimes, staff do not explain the benefits of eating healthy foods or how washing their hands keeps children safe.
• The manager has high expectations for the setting. She reviews and evaluates practice to continuously strive for improvement. The manager is actively engaged with other professionals and agencies. This has provided opportunities for the staff to develop further knowledge to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff confirm they feel listened to and supported by leaders.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consider the needs of individual children more closely when putting them into groups for activities and routines
• help children to understand the purpose of hygiene routines and the benefits of eating nutritious food.