Dad's The Word

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Each child has their own key person who they build safe and secure relationships with. For instance, during nappy changing times, key persons talk positively, sing and laugh with children. They recognise and respond when children need a drink, and help them to wipe their nose. The manager shares stories and information with families during times of bereavement to further support their emotional well-being.

Staff provide children with appropriate explanations to support their understanding. For example, children learn why eating marshmallows may pose a risk to their health. When in the woodland area, they learn to measure the sticks against their arm to identify if it is a suitable size to play with. Toddlers understand that when staff wave their hands in the air, they need to stop what they are doing and listen. Staff give children prior warnings to help them know that the routine will soon change. This promotes their good behaviour.

As children get older and their skills progress, they have more opportunity to be self-sufficient, such as pouring their own drinks at mealtimes. Staff promote children's independence in various ways. For instance, they ask children a wealth of open-ended questions to encourage them to think, make choices and lead their own play. They skilfully offer support to children when needed. For instance, when children request that staff fill up their water bottle, staff agree to loosen the bottle lid, enabling children to fill it themselves.

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

• The manager highlights the challenges that the team are facing regarding staff recruitment and retention and is taking positive steps to minimise any impact. She is proactive in accessing additional help and support from external professionals, maintaining good standards of care and learning for all children.
• Staff work effectively with parents and carers from the outset and welcome their feedback. For instance, the manager makes sure that all parents can easily share their views through group chats and online applications. Parents attend open evenings, and talk positively about the stay-and-play sessions that staff invite them to.
• There are opportunities for children to venture into the community and meet new people, to enhance their understanding of the world. For instance, staff invite parents to share cultural traditions and skills with children, such as playing the guitar.
• Children learn to appreciate nature through first-hand experiences. For instance, the setting has its own aviary, allotment, woodland and farm area. This means that children have daily interactions with animals. They learn kindness and empathy. For instance, children learn not to pick leaves off the trees as these are living. Instead, they collect and explore the fallen leaves.
• Staff in the pre-school room implement a consistent curriculum where all staff focus on the skills that they want children to learn. For instance, children benefit from a range of activities to embed their knowledge of patterns, shape and space, such as opportunities to make marks and patterns in the mud, and they imprint loose parts and natural objects into the play dough.
• Most staff confidently talk about the children in their care, including their progress and interests. Key persons complete progress checks and transition documents to help them to assess what children know and can do. However, some staff in the toddler room have yet to discuss specific details about children with their colleagues. Consequently, some staff are unsure of children's starting points and backgrounds to enhance interactions with children.
• Overall, staff provide a good curriculum that supports children's communication and language development. However, on occasions, the organisation of snack and mealtimes means that staff are sometimes too busy carrying out other tasks to sit with children. This does not fully support children's developing communication skills.
• The special educational needs coordinator has secure knowledge and experience to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Although she is relatively new to the team, she has already embarked on a wealth of training to refresh her knowledge and skills. This ensures that all children have their individual needs met.
• All staff benefit from a wealth of support to align professional development with company expectations. New staff talk positively about the induction process and training opportunities they have received, helping them to understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Safeguards are in place to ensure that all allergies and dietary requirements are adhered to. For instance, when babies have a laundry detergent allergy, staff follow procedures to ensure that their bedding is washed and stored separately to others. This promotes their welfare.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the arrangements for information-sharing among staff, so that staff who work in the toddler room have the same precise knowledge of all children who they care for
• review the organisation of mealtimes to ensure that toddlers and babies have more face-to-face opportunities to develop their communication skills.