Ducklings Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy and settle with support from their key person. They thrive in the enticing environment that engages children quickly into play. Children demonstrate high levels of confidence as they explore the garden, taking risks by climbing trees and rope ladders. They role play in the mud kitchen and enjoy the company of their peers, as well as time playing and learning on their own. Children practise their physical skills as they dig in the sand with gardening tools, and ride bikes and scooters around differing obstacles.

Children are calm and fully engrossed in their indoor play. The language-rich environment provides all children with opportunities to practise talking about their own experiences and to learn new vocabulary. Babies' communication is quickly recognised by the caring and responsive staff. Children's behaviour is excellent. They patiently line up and wait their turn to use equipment and receive praise from the staff for their efforts. Children make rapid progress in their learning and development because they have time to practise the skills required to become independent learners. As a result, children are exceptionally confident to assist their own needs.

Children are learning to be safe and healthy. They help complete daily checklists to ensure the equipment and environment are safe and practise using knives safely to cut up their own fruit at snack time. They are taught how to brush their teeth and learn the importance of handwashing from a young age.

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

• The manager leads a dedicated and motivated team of highly skilled staff. She prioritises their well-being and uses an effective programme of supervision to make sure they are continually suitable for their role. Staff receive extensive training, and their ongoing professional development is given the utmost priority. The manager recognises the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on some children's attendance. Additional funding is used towards new resources; some of which, children take home to continue their learning.
• The nursery benefits from highly motivated staff who are excellent role models to the children. They remind children of the nursery rules and explain to children why they are important. Children have learned to use their voices to tell others what they do and do not like. Staff skilfully teach children to celebrate themselves and others. For example, they celebrate children's birthdays with tea parties by the mud kitchen. The children experiment and make herbal tea with water, herbs and grass. They add sprinkles and speak about their own birthday celebrations.
• Staff support and teach children's learning through well-timed interactions, based on the strong knowledge they have of children's individual development. They have extensive knowledge of their key children through excellent teaching programmes. They learn about children's interests and consistently follow their lead, actively encouraging them to think, investigate and experiment. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They have formed strong bonds with staff and seek visitors out to tell them what they are doing. Babies explore their surroundings and find pictures of their families on the walls.
• The ambitious curriculum ensures all children make the best possible progress. There is a strong focus on continuous learning which helps prepare children for the next steps in their development. For example, in preparation for babies moving into the toddler room, they learn how to use open cups and cutlery to feed themselves independently. Children learn to recognise themselves and their names with pictures and labels on their pegs and blanket boxes. Children are very well prepared for moving on to school. They practise putting on PE kits and teachers are invited in to visit them.
• Children have superb opportunities to access books and develop a love for reading. Both children and babies are read stories throughout the day in the cosy reading areas, indoors and outside, which are filled with soft furnishings. They eagerly listen to stories and repeat phrases from familiar books during their play. Staff expand children's understanding of the stories with exciting sensory props that they can touch and shake.
• Staff teach early mathematical concepts. For example, during a potion-making activity, staff talk to children about how long the stem of a daffodil is compared to the length of a hyacinth.
• Parents are extremely positive about the nursery and staff which they describe as 'very welcoming'. They say how their children are exceedingly happy here and really appreciate the regular updates about their child's day through the online communication methods. Key persons report to parents about children's developmental progress and make suggestions as to how this can be continued at home.