Colyton Caterpillars Early Education

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have strong, nurturing relationships with their key person, and they are happy and confident. Staff know children very well and plan the curriculum based on their next steps in learning alongside their specific interests. Staff identify if a child may need additional support from the outset, and they work very well with families and external agencies to ensure that the child progresses in their learning. Children make good progress in their learning and development.

Most children demonstrate high levels of engagement and enjoyment from the variety of activities on offer. Activities are enticing and specifically target the development of new vocabulary. For example, staff sing songs and read stories. Staff work with small groups of children and teach them new words, such as 'ammonite'. The love of reading is given high regard, and children confidently select books to read with an adult.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour, and children are well behaved. Younger children are taught to develop their physical development skills and speech. Staff prepare children for starting school. For example, they are taught to be responsible for their belongings and to develop their early writing skills. The setting, in partnership with a local school, has identified areas of the curriculum to focus on to support children in their transition to school. Parents attend workshops to learn about how they can support their child during this process.

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

• The setting provides additional experiences via external services and the local community. For example, older children attend physical education lessons several times a week and a forest-school teacher attends the setting weekly. They go on trips in the surrounding area, visiting the local farm shop, for example, to learn about where food comes from.
• Parents are very positive about the excellent partnerships established with them. They describe the good care and support given to the children and themselves. Parents describe the setting as 'caring' and 'kind.' Parents report that staff treat children as individuals and that the setting is supportive in accommodating their needs.
• Communication and support for parents is very good. Parents are regularly informed of their child's next steps in learning and progress. A variety of systems assist parents with their understanding of child development and how they can support learning at home, via a newsletter and an online platform, for example.
• Staff support children and families to adopt a healthy lifestyle. For example, activities focus on the importance of good oral health and making healthy food choices. Children brush their teeth daily. Opportunities to be physically active are provided. Children engage in yoga sessions and use equipment to develop their strength and coordination.
• Leaders provide strong leadership for the staff team. There is a positive focus on improving practitioner's knowledge. Frequent opportunities for professional development support the staff in their knowledge and understanding. Staff report that they feel well supported at the setting and are confident to ask for help if needed. The manager is reflective in her practice. However, she is yet to provide a consistent two-way flow of information for parents to ensure they can support children's development even further, although she plans to invite parents into the setting to learn about the curriculum. This will further support children with their learning at home.
• Staff take their lead from children's interests. They interact with children, modelling dialogue and listening well. However, on occasion, staff do not always engage, support and extend some quieter children's development.
• Opportunities to develop mathematical understanding are in the curriculum. Staff support children to count and recognise numbers. Activities, such as treasure hunts, support children's understanding of positional language. Staff sing nursery rhymes to teach children early counting skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all children, particularly those who are quieter, to develop their engagement and concentration even more
• continue to develop ways to engage parents in their child's learning to support their development even further.