Discovery Vine at Grimsargh St Michael's C of E Primary School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children warmly when they arrive. As a result, children separate from their parents with ease and they are ready to learn. Due to the effective support provided by staff, children are eager to join in the activities with their friends. Staff are friendly and sit at the same level as the children during play. Children enjoy talking about their experiences at home and sharing their ideas as they build structures with magnets, developing their hand-eye coordination. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have time to explore the environment and activities at their own pace. They freely access the whole environment and the resources they require.

Staff promote the physical development of children well. Children have the opportunity to build their physical strength and develop their coordination. For example, children take their time and practise rolling cars to each other very precisely and accurately. Staff have high expectations of all children. They offer lots of encouragement to support children who find this task challenging. Children behave well. They are taught to respect each other's needs. For example, children wait patiently for others who may need more time to wash hands. They do not rush each other and they help those who need it.

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

• Staff provide an inclusive environment for all children and value every child's uniqueness. They work in partnership with external agencies to make sure all children are well supported. Adaptations are made to benefit children with SEND. As a result, children are making good progress to move on to the next stage in their learning.
• Staff understand what they want children to learn. They follow children's interests and support them in a way that is appropriate to their level of development. For example, young children enjoy looking at books and imitate animal sounds. Staff repeat the animal names and children attempt to say them. Staff encourage children to develop their communication skills. For example, they play the guitar and sing familiar rhymes and songs with the children. They also give children eye contact and off lots of encouragement. Children are excited to join in and learn the words to the songs while having fun.
• Older children learn about the sounds letters make. They sit attentively while staff support them to join in making different sounds. This helps to promote their readiness for school and their early reading skills. Staff work closely with teachers at the school. This ensures that children who are due to start school are already equipped with the basic skills needed to begin reading.
• Children enjoy school-cooked meals that take account of their dietary needs. They enjoy special responsibilities, such as setting the table. This helps children to develop a strong sense of pride and high self-esteem.
• Children have a positive attitude towards learning. For example, they enjoy playing with water in the outdoor environment. Children show excitement as they explore the water and play cooperatively with their friends. Children show interest in nature and their environment, which helps to promote their understanding of the world. For example, children stop their play to look at a leaves in the garden. They encourage their friends to look at them too. This generates lots of discussions about the different colours of leaves and how they travel in the wind.
• Staff have regular supervisions and the opportunity to discuss any concerns they have. They feel well supported. However, procedures are not in place so that staff and managers have the opportunity to reflect on the delivery of the curriculum. Staff are not fully aware of their strengths or weakness and how they can improve their practice. As a result, staff do not widen their practice and do not always to extend children's learning further. This means that children's learning needs are not consistently promoted.
• Parents speak warmly of the support and high-quality care they and their children receive. They say their children are very happy in the nursery. Parents are kept fully informed about what their children are learning. However, they are not always kept up to date with their children's progress. As a result, parents do not know if there are any areas of their children's development where they may need more support at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen strategies to communicate key information with parents about their child's learning, and how they can support this further at home
• enhance monitoring of staff practice to ensure that teaching is having the best positive impact on children's development.