Cobnuts Steiner Kindergarten

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed into the kindergarten. They are happy and excited to see their friends. Staff spend quality time with all children and their families prior to starting at the setting. This helps children to build strong relationships, and children settle quickly. Staff have extremely high expectations for all children, who are making exceptional progress. Staff follow children's interests and provide exciting activities, such as apple picking in the orchard or planting carrot seeds together. They prepare and cook the fruit together, and add it to sweeten their porridge at snack. Staff continue this motivating learning inside and skilfully adapt the environment to develop learning further. For instance, children's problem-solving skills are sparked by a moth in the window. They carefully plan a rescue mission and release it outdoors.

Every moment of children's time at the kindergarten is used purposefully. Staff unfailingly implement their clear intention to give children the skills, resources and motivation to follow their own ideas. As a result, children are engaged and behave exceptionally well. They enjoy exploring sensory activities, such as making rye sticks from home-made dough. Staff quietly support children to be independent as they roll the dough, adding flour to stop it sticking to the board. Children talk about eating the rye sticks when they have been cooked. Staff are talented and skilful at keeping children engaged in their play. Talk in the kindergarten promotes children's exceptional progress in learning to communicate. They develop a rich vocabulary. This excellent approach also means children who speak English as an additional language make rapid progress in learning to speak English.

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

• The manager and staff are passionate about the care and education they provide. Staff have a rich understanding of how to implement an extremely effective curriculum. For instance, as a team they regularly discuss children's development and interests to plan for their next steps in learning. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make excellent progress.
• Staff very successfully encourage all children to practise their independence skills. For instance, children confidently collect their cup and bowl, pour their own drinks and put on their slippers. Children rapidly develop their toileting skills with highly consistent support from staff. For example, staff provide children with visual step-by-step instructions for using the toilet and washing their hands. This very effectively helps to support children to have the confidence to manage tasks by themselves. Staff also work closely with parents to offer support at home so there is an extremely consistent approach.
• Staff closely observe and sensitively interact with children. This helps them to quickly identify and act on concerns about children's development. Children with SEND have individual programmes that are subject to regular and thorough reviews. The special educational needs coordinator works with the staff to accurately measure children's progress. This means she can make well-informed referrals for specialist advice and support as needed. As a result, children receive coordinated support to prepare them effectively for their future education.
• Children have copious opportunities to enhance their physical development. For example, they have the space to run, climb trees, balance on logs, and negotiate space. Children work as a team to pull the wooden cart. This develops children's core muscle skills. Staff provide more-focused activities, such as using block crayons and chalk for drawing and pipettes for painting. Children proudly talk about their creations, adding, 'This is my purple dragon.' This helps children to develop their coordination and muscle control for early writing.
• Staff help children to discover mathematics through purposeful counting and measuring activities. When in the garden, children climb a small ladder and estimate how far their arms will stretch round the tree. When preparing the table for snack, they count the corners and sides of the tablecloth. Children's mathematical language is strong, and they are able to use it throughout the setting.
• Staff are positive role models and encourage children to talk about their emotions. For example, they talk about being frustrated when, during play, the traffic light-coloured buckets on the bridge get knocked off. Staff consistently support children to understand the impact of their behaviour on others. This helps all children to learn to manage these situations by themselves and resolve conflict.
• The manager is passionate about her role and strives for continual improvement. For instance, she attends regular webinars and collaboration meetings. Regular supervisions consider staff's professional development and well-being, ensuring that staff can deliver excellent-quality teaching. Staff members feel supported and valued.
• Partnership with parents is exceptional. Staff regularly communicate with parents and keep them up to date with their children's care and progress. Parents say that the kindergarten is a community where they all feel valued and welcomed. The committee and staff provide many opportunities throughout the year for families to come together. These include May Day celebrations and apple pressing at harvest time.