Dingley Family & Specialist Early Years Centres (Reading Centre)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed into this caring and nurturing provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They develop strong, secure attachments to their key person, who greets them with excitement and enthusiasm.

Children make independent choices about their play and learning from a wide range of resources. For instance, children ride on tricycles while others pour and transfer water from the water tray. Children develop practical life skills such as pouring their own drinks at snack time and helping to mop up spills. Some children enjoy carrying their plates to the kitchen when they have finished. This supports children's independence and self-confidence.

Staff consistently support children's behaviour. They know the children well and have strong strategies in place to help children regulate their emotions. Staff quickly step in and use the children's interests to redirect any negative behaviours before they intensify. They provide calming spaces where children can retreat and provide comfort and reassurance when they become overwhelmed or dysregulated. Children develop self-awareness and coping skills.

In this highly inclusive setting, children quickly learn to value diversity. Children learn about different cultural celebrations, such as Diwali, the Festival of Holi and summer solstice. Staff provide dual-language resources to support children and families who speak languages other than English. This helps children feel respected and valued and builds their sense of belonging.

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

• Leaders provide an ambitious curriculum that considers the uniqueness and individuality of every child. Staff know the children well and adapt their provision accordingly. They build on the children's interests to extend their learning. The curriculum is carefully sequenced to meet the individual needs of the children to ensure all children make the best possible progress.
• Communication is a key strength that is visible in every area of the provision. Staff expertly adapt their interactions to support and build on what children know and can do. In addition to modifying their spoken language to individual children, staff also use visual boards, sign language, visual timetables and communication boards. Children learn to communicate in different ways according to their needs and abilities.
• Overall, the staff plan engaging and enticing activities. For instance, staff bring stories to life with their animated and theatrical storytelling skills. Children excitedly copy the actions and repeat some familiar phrases. However, on
• Inspection report: Dingley Family & Specialist Early Years Centres (Reading Centre) 2 10 July 2025 occasion, children wait too long for activities to begin. Although staff praise children for waiting, this can result in a loss of focus and interest.
• Staff embed strong routines to support transitions. For example, they ensure every child is shown the timer five minutes before going inside. Giving children advance warning helps them regulate their emotions and anticipate what is going to happen.
• Children develop healthy practices. Staff teach children to brush their teeth. Children learn to routinely wash their hands before eating. Staff work with outside professionals to develop sequenced strategies that support children's healthy eating. This encourages children who are averse to different foods to try new tastes and develop their palates.
• Staff provide immense support for parents as well as children. They organise stay-and-play sessions and information events to help parents support children's needs at home. Staff provide regular feedback about their child's progress and next steps in learning. They also share the strategies and resources that work for their child so parents can replicate these at home. The setting has a resource library so parents can try resources before buying them. Parents speak positively about the progress their children have made during their time here.
• Leaders are passionate and committed to ensuring they provide the best possible start for the children. They use the views of staff and parents when creating their development plans. Leaders ensure that any funding received to support children is considered and used to support the individual needs of children and their families. This helps to enhance children's experiences.
• Through regular supervision, leaders ensure that they promote staff's ongoing professional development. Training is highly targeted to support the needs of the children who attend the setting. For instance, staff have recently learned about 'story massage' to help children feel calm and maintain focus. Staff report that they feel supported and enjoy their roles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• prepare activities more precisely to help children sustain focus and engagement.
• Inspection report: Dingley Family & Specialist Early Years Centres (Reading Centre) 3 10 July 2025