Dimples Southbank

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the setting happily and are excited to take part in activities. Staff greet children warmly and sensitively. This helps to address the impact on children of parents not being able to come inside with them as a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. All children feel secure, valued and welcome. Staff ensure there are strong bonds with children in their care. For instance, staff compile an album of family photographs which children enjoy looking at and talking about. Children behave very well, relative to their ages. They are consistently kind and helpful. Staff are good role models. They show respect to children and each other. Staff talk to young children about their feelings to help children to regulate their own behaviour from an early age.

Children confidently choose from a selection of good resources, indoors and outside. Staff know children's interests and plan learning experiences to meet their needs. For example, they provide children with different materials to create pictures of faces. Young children look in mirrors to see their features and listen to a story about what makes them unique. Babies practise their skills ready for crawling, during tummy time. They try hard to move forwards when staff place a favourite toy just out of reach.

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

• Leaders are highly aspirational. They involve staff in reflecting on what goes well and areas for improvement. Staff say they feel supported. Leaders use, for instance, observations of teaching, supervision and mentoring to help enhance practice. They value staff development. For example, there is a strong focus on how to promote good communication and language skills for all children.
• Staff work closely with professionals involved in children's care, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. This helps staff to identify and address any gaps in learning and development. Leaders use funding to buy appropriate equipment and train staff. All children are fully included and prepared for their future learning.
• Parents value ideas that staff provided for their children's home learning during the pandemic, such as walks to find numbers on houses and cars. Staff recorded themselves reading bedtime stories to keep in touch with children and families. They communicate well with parents about children's learning and development through an online system and daily discussions. Parents say the setting is firmly established as part of the wider community. This helps children to access experiences that promote their understanding of others. One example of this is when children taste new foods to help them find out about celebrations around the world.
• Staff get to know children's needs from the start. They use this knowledge to help children settle quickly. However, on occasion, staff do not fully consider children's starting points when planning new learning or precise next steps. One example of this is when young children do not have prior knowledge to answer staff's questions about counting and shape. Nevertheless, children develop speech and listening skills effectively. They enjoy songs and rhymes, and choose from a good range of reading materials. Children develop fine-motor skills, for example when moulding dough and pouring jugs of cereal.
• Staff provide carefully structured and age-appropriate routines. Children respond enthusiastically. For example, staff signal new activities by ringing a bell. Children wriggle their fingers and listen to a song to remind them to help tidy up before story time. Toddlers play alongside each other, share resources and take turns willingly. Staff consistently model polite manners, saying 'please' and 'thank you'.
• Children practise their independence skills frequently and grow in confidence. For example, they learn to use toothbrushes, feed themselves nutritional meals and snacks using cutlery, and help with tasks such as putting away equipment. Staff encourage all children to have a go. Babies stay close to their key person, approaching them readily for cuddles. Staff ensure they know all about babies' routines and keep a careful watch during naps.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to take full account of children's prior knowledge when planning activities to help ensure the best possible outcomes.