Dearne Family Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and families show that they feel extremely welcome at this friendly and highly inclusive family centre. Leaders and staff are committed to providing a nurturing environment and a sense of belonging for all children in their care. Parents regularly join their children to stay and play at the start of sessions. This helps to establish strong partnership working with families. Children are delighted to show parents what they enjoy doing. Staff prioritise children's well-being. They do everything possible to seek out any extra support that children may need. This helps to ensure that all children make good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There is a particularly strong focus on developing their confidence and self-esteem.

Children have fun at the centre and learn as they play. Staff know children well and plan activities to match children's needs and interests. Children follow daily routines and simple guidelines, such as not running indoors. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children behave well relative to their ages. Staff remind children to use good manners, saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Children learn to take safe risks. For instance, staff supervise children closely while they climb a small tree in the garden. Children gain in independence in preparation for their future learning. For example, staff encourage children to put on their own waterproofs before going outdoors to explore the garden. Staff model how to lay out the trousers. They praise children as they 'have a go'. Children persist in their efforts until they succeed.

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

• Leaders and managers are passionate about providing a wide range of support for children and families. The hub, in which the setting is based, links families to a wealth of advice and practical help. There are strong partnerships with other professionals, including health visitors and speech and language therapists. This helps to ensure that children's good development is a top priority for all.
• Staff follow a well-structured curriculum designed to meet children's needs. They adapt the curriculum for individual children and set them clear goals. However, on occasion, staff do not take every opportunity to interact as strongly with children to extend their learning even further to achieve the very best outcomes.
• Staff get to know children and families very well. They carry out home visits before children come to the setting. Children gradually stay for longer periods and parents leave them to play. This thoughtful approach to settling in helps children to become confident and develop a positive attitude to their learning from the beginning. The move onto school is also very well supported.
• The well-qualified staff focus effectively on promoting children's communication and language skills. They provide an ongoing commentary for children's play and introduce new words, such as 'sparkly', during conversations. Children are familiar with a range of stories and rhymes. This enables children to practise their early literacy skills in preparation for school.
• Leaders are exceptionally keen to support staff well-being and professional development. Regular supervision sessions help ensure that staff can share any concerns. Staff say that managers doors are 'always open'. Leaders and managers also have access to a very strong support team.
• Parents praise the care given to their children by staff and especially their child's key person. They comment that their children are extremely safe and enjoy their time at the setting. Parents value the frequent exchange of information with staff. They say they feel fully involved with their children's education.
• Staff help children to recognise their emotions and manage their feelings. For instance, they use puppets to encourage children to express themselves. Staff offer plenty of encouragement. For example, they use 'high-fives' to celebrate children's achievements. Children's work is displayed prominently which helps to build their self-esteem.
• Children have many opportunities to practise their physical skills. They enjoy making obstacle courses outdoors which helps to exercise their muscles. Indoors, children investigate water full of bubbles and fill and pour from containers. They pick up colourful ribbons of paper and soft balls of wool with tweezers. This helps children to strengthen their hand movements and coordination in readiness for mark making and writing.
• Children benefit from fresh air and exercise daily. They learn about making positive nutritional choices during snack time. Children practise brushing their teeth at the setting and take toothbrushes and toothpaste home with them. These routines help children to follow a healthy lifestyle.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to enhance and enrich their interactions with children even further to promote the very best outcomes for children.