Club Creche LTD

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this welcoming environment. They separate from their parents with ease and display a strong sense of belonging. Staff are kind, responsive and caring. In addition, children benefit from a flexible routine that is tailored to meet their individual needs. This helps to support their emotional well-being. Through frequent praise and encouragement from staff, children behave well and know what is expected of them. Children learn effective ways to manage their feelings and seek comfort from familiar staff when upset, which helps them to feel safe and secure. Children of all ages play well together and show respect and kindness to each other.

The quality of the curriculum is good. Children have positive attitudes to learning. They eagerly explore their environment and demonstrate good levels of confidence and self-esteem during play. They concentrate well and become absorbed in activities they have chosen for themselves as well as those led by staff. Overall, children develop good communication and language skills. For example, staff read familiar stories to children to develop their listening skills. However, support for children who speak English as an additional language is not as robust as it could be. Nonetheless, all children are steadily developing skills for their future learning.

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

• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents appreciate the flexible service on offer and comment that their children are happy and in 'safe hands'. Staff involve parents in their children's learning and regularly share information about children's progress. This helps to ensure continuity of care between home and the crèche.
• The provider, who is also the manager, uses her knowledge and expertise to successfully guide, coach and mentor staff. She has a strong vision and places high priority on the continued professional development of staff. Systems are in place to monitor the quality of teaching. Staff receive regular targeted support through informal supervision meetings. This ensures that staff provide children with good-quality learning experiences.
• The provider uses insightful evaluation to review the curriculum. She obtains the views from staff and parents to continually make improvements. This helps to maintain good-quality provision for children. The provider has addressed recommendations raised at the last inspection. For example, staff provide more opportunities for children to develop their early writing skills during play.
• Staff know the children very well and foster positive relationships with them. They plan a broad curriculum that reflects children's interests and natural curiosity. This ensures that children are motivated and inquisitive learners. Staff track children's progress regularly and use their observations to understand what children need to learn next.
• Staff build on children's confidence to learn new things. They support very young children's communication skills extremely well. For example, staff actively encourage children to listen attentively to their favourite stories and join in with music and action songs. Staff engage all children in meaningful conversations. They encourage the youngest children to repeat sounds and simple words as they play. Furthermore, staff use pertinent questioning during activities to develop children's thinking skills and their growing vocabulary.
• Overall, children who speak English as an additional language are generally supported well in developing their communication and language. Although staff obtain key words from parents to support children's learning, opportunities for children to use their home language during play are not as frequent as they could be.
• Children's health needs are promoted well. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that children's dietary needs are met. In addition, children learn the importance of good hygiene and know how to manage their self-care needs during mealtimes. This promotes children's overall well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve opportunities for children to use their home language during play.