Fairfield Education & Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff create a warm, welcoming atmosphere for children and their families. This helps children feel calm, engaged and secure at this setting. They show this through their impressive levels of confidence and focus. Children happily greet visitors to the setting and offer them toys and eager conversation. Staff encourage children to show off their skills and learning. The children sing songs for visitors and giggle as they role play as teachers and test staff on their own knowledge of shapes and colours. Parents particularly appreciate this and feel the setting has become part of their own personal communities. Leaders recognise that working in partnership with parents helps to further secure children's progression and feelings of security.

Staff place an important emphasis on outdoor play, which children look forward to each day. They talk excitedly to their friends about what they intend to play with. They race around on vehicles, collect leaves and sticks and make delicious meals in the play kitchen. Similarly, they enjoy making use of the large hall within the setting. Younger children work on new skills like running and strengthening their muscles. Older children play chasing games and show off their dance moves. Staff whole-heartedly join in with children's play, which only adds to their enjoyment. Staff praise children and acknowledge their successes, big and small. This enriches children's self-esteem and helps them to be confident explorers.

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

• Leaders have adopted a culture of continuous learning for themselves and all staff, since their previous inspection. They are committed to fostering an environment of continuous professional development. They recognise that accessing training and building new skills serves to better the curriculum. This means children benefit from new teaching approaches, exciting activities and a staff team with a deeper understanding of how children learn. There have been vast improvements to the leadership and management of the setting, which benefits all children.
• Staff deliver a sequenced curriculum, which builds on what children already know and can do. They thoughtfully consider children's next steps in development and weave tailored teaching for each child into planned activities. This helps children to make continuous progress and they quickly begin to meet their learning goals. This also encourages children's engagement and enjoyment. Children happily access the curriculum and have fun throughout their days at the setting.
• Leaders place a strong focus on communication and language development for all children. Staff use simple, clear language, skilfully introducing new words into children's vocabulary. Children giggle and join in with familiar phrases as staff read stories and sing songs with small groups. Older children repeat descriptive language and begin to incorporate new language in their independent imaginative play. This helps to support children on their journey to becoming confident communicators.
• Staff make good use of routines and structure to help children settle quickly at the setting. Children know what to expect from their days. They recognise they need to tidy away the toys when a tambourine is shaken by staff. They anticipate their mealtimes and excitedly begin to wash their hands, before sitting at the table. This helps to promote children's independence and nurtures some of the skills that will support their future transition to primary school.
• Leaders encourage staff to include aspects of literacy throughout all activities and routines. Even the youngest children begin to recognise their own names and point out the letters their names begin with. However, staff try to teach children the sounds these letters represent, but do so incorrectly. As a result, children develop misconceptions regarding the sounds that letters represent.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. They experience a curriculum as ambitious and exciting as their peers. Consistent approaches and goals are clear for these children across the setting. This means children make impressive progress and quickly begin to meet their learning goals.
• Children play cooperatively with one another. They share toys, take turns and use wonderful manners. They show high levels of concentration, including impressive focus from the youngest children. They show that they are challenged and excited by the activities on offer. Staff recognise that children learn in different ways. They adapt how activities are delivered to each individual child's learning style. The curriculum is ambitious and designed to promote every child's progression. Staff have high expectations and children meet these expectations.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff knowledge and understanding of how to support children's early reading skills effectively.