Explorers Gidea Park

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The setting is extraordinarily warm and welcoming. Staff provide a caring, inclusive and supportive environment where all children flourish due to the ambitious curriculum in place. Children are very excited to enter the setting in the morning, and happily separate from their parents and carers.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff use a toy with removable body parts to embed the golden rules in the setting. As staff put ears on the toy, children say 'good listening ears'. As they put on his mouth, they say 'kind words' and as they put on his hands, they know this means to use kind hands with their friends. Children use these guiding rules in their interactions with their peers, showing kindness and compassion for others. Children have impeccable manners and use 'please' and 'thank you' without prompting.

The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exceptional. Staff recognise the need for early intervention and referrals. They support parents through this process and work closely with other agencies. Leaders and managers have provided staff with additional training on aspects of SEND, such as autism, so they are able to understand how to support children more fully in the setting.

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

• All staff at the setting know children incredibly well. The accurately monitor children's starting points in development through discussions with parents and their observations. They individually tailor the schedules for children who are settling in to ensure that they feel safe and secure within the new environment before fully starting. Staff put ambitious next steps in learning in place that build on what children need to learn next.
• Leaders and managers are reflective in their practice. They put children's interests at the heart of all decisions that they make. Staff take time to put a routine in place that works for all children. They recognise when things are not working. For example, they adjusted the routine around doing circle time on arrival, as children wanted to explore first. This has had a significant impact on the engagement that children have during their time together on the carpet.
• The curriculum for communication and language is exceptionally well developed. For children who speak English as an additional language, staff use key words in their home languages to help them to feel settled and secure. Staff have lanyards that provide all children, including those with SEND, opportunities to communicate their needs and understand what is happening next. Staff use sign language with all children. Children sign as they sing Christmas songs and to indicate that they would like more food at lunchtime, or are finished.
• The ambitious curriculum for children provides them with an extensive range of experiences and activities that help them to develop a secure understanding of the subject matter that staff are teaching. Children are enthralled as they follow instructions to fill sandwich bags with bicarbonate of soda, tissue and white wine vinegar to make 'exploding snowmen'. They point and gasp in excitement as the bag is sealed and 'magically' begins to inflate. Staff talk to children about what they are seeing and the scientific process that is happening.
• Children are fiercely independent. They understand that they must wash their hands before and after meals to prevent germs from being spread. Children use tools for specific purposes. For example, they use tongs to select which fruits they would like at snack time. Staff are adept at demonstrating skills to children, such as how to use a knife to spread butter onto bread and then providing the time and space for them to master this skill independently. Once snack is finished, children wash their own plates and cutlery and place these on the drying rack.
• Partnerships with parents are exceptional. Parents speak extremely highly of the stable and long-standing staff team. They talk of the dedication and care that staff show to children and their understanding of children's individual needs. Staff regularly welcome parents into the setting to share in activities with their children. Parents feel extremely well informed of their children's learning and development and the next steps in place to support them.