Early Years @ Highfield - Whitehouse

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The curriculum is exceptionally well planned and implemented. Staff plan learning around carefully chosen storybooks that capture children's interests and reflect their home lives. Books provide meaningful opportunities for children to make connections, build emotional literacy and develop the vocabulary to express their feelings. Parents play an active role in curriculum planning and book sharing, which strengthens home learning and ensures consistency for children's learning. Staff are highly attentive to children's needs and adapt the environment to help them make the best progress possible. For example, reducing the number of resources has improved children's concentration and respect for materials, supporting their readiness for school. Play is based around children's individual learning styles and is expertly supported by staff. Children explore objects with deep concentration, solve problems and sustain high levels of engagement. Calming spaces such as a dark den help children to manage their feelings and responses, ensuring they remain settled and ready to learn.

Staff create an environment that fosters independence. Children confidently manage routines, such as washing their hands, buttering crackers and clearing away after meals. Staff promote responsibility, resilience and essential self-care skills. They prepare children exceptionally well for their move on to school. Staff model positive behaviour consistently and embed learning seamlessly into daily routines. They thank children for helping, encourage them to count fruit and engage in meaningful conversations about health and hygiene. As a result, children develop exceptionally strong social skills, early mathematical understanding and healthy habits that will benefit them through life.

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

• Leaders implement the curriculum with passion and communicate a wide range of approaches clearly to staff. As a result, staff confidently implement engaging experiences that excite children and support their learning superbly. Children benefit from consistent, well-planned teaching that builds on their existing skills and knowledge very effectively. This helps children to make exceptional progress.
• Staff work in close partnership with families. They hold regular progress meetings, share activity ideas and offer resources so that children's learning continues at home. This consistent approach strengthens communication, and builds trust. This enables children to experience clear routines and boundaries, both at home and at nursery.
• Leaders evaluate practice rigorously and use innovative approaches to inform improvement through regular observation. Staff also review their own performance, which gives them responsibility for self-evaluation. This reflective culture strengthens professional confidence and results in consistent, high-quality teaching for children.
• Community links are strengthened through partnerships with charities, local churches and parents' contributions of recipes from home, such as Kurdish dishes. Staff use these activities to broaden children's experiences and help them develop a mature appreciation of tolerance, respect and cultural awareness.
• Staff teach children about effective sustainability practices, such as recycling and using natural resources in the garden. Children learn to care for the environment and assess and manage risk while developing both their physical and problem-solving skills. For example, children work together to build an obstacle course using crates and planks, checking that the structures are stable before balancing on them. They also help to sweep up leaves in the garden and sort clean waste for recycling. Children learn to make decisions collaboratively, and take pride in caring for their surroundings, which builds confidence, independence and resilience.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make exceptional progress in their communication and developing confidence. Staff source strong and timely support for children with SEND and work closely with all other adults involved in their care. This helps to create a strong team, who are invested in securing the best outcomes for each child.
• Staff are consistent and communicate boundaries clearly. Children are extremely well behaved and know what is expected of them. For example, they share equipment and apologise to peers independently when they accidentally bump into each other. This positive behaviour creates a calm and respectful environment, where children feel safe and valued.
• Staff ensure that diversity and inclusion are thoroughly embedded through the nursery. Children develop respect and understanding for differences in ability, family background and culture. For example, staff introduce Romanian celebrations to broaden children's awareness and strengthen their sense of belonging. Children are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.