Fidgety Feet

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed warmly by their key person when they arrive, and they happily leave their parents. They show great enthusiasm and excitement to learn as they explore what is on offer. All children, including the babies, have clearly established close bonds with the nurturing team of practitioners. They are very confident and comfortable in the inviting child-friendly and homely environment. The manager, the deputy manager and their team fully consider children's individuality and speak knowledgeably about all children attending.

Children delight playing in the garden. They have immense fun mastering the challenge of using large apparatus. They take safe risks, fully supported by practitioners who are on hand to encourage and help if required. Children show great pride and satisfaction at their achievement as they giggle sliding down the long slide. Toddlers show sustained levels of concentration as they are engrossed in transporting pasta into different pots in the garden role play. Children enjoy gardening, skilfully filling pots with compost and colourful plants. They eagerly join in cooking club and make cakes to share at home. Even the babies enjoy the mixing of ingredients and the sensory experience of the texture, smells and taste of the mixture.

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

• The management team is enthusiastic and has a clear vision of how to provide high-quality care and education following the Montessori ethos and principles. The staff team is motivated and supported. Staff speak highly of the manager. Staff's morale is very good as they feel valued and know that their ideas and suggestions are welcomed. All staff are supported in their own continuous professional development. They speak with enthusiasm about recent and planned training. There is a strong culture to evaluate any training and share any new ideas with the team as they understand the positive impact this has on outcomes for children.
• Partnerships with parents are well established. Parents speak very highly of the 'amazing' practitioners and the commitment and dedication to their children. They comment that they are reassured their children make very good progress. Parents feel comfortable leaving their children, secure in the knowledge that they are kept safe and are having fun while learning.
• The manager ensures the curriculum is planned and securely embedded across all areas of learning and provides an inclusive environment. There is a strong emphasis on teaching children independence skills. Children access organised toys and resources from open shelving so that they can initiate their own play. They confidently serve snack using tongs and pour drinks with skill. Children are familiar with the routine of scraping their plates after dinner and helping to tidy away. They manage their shoes and clothing with ease. However, practitioners are always on hand to help if needed. This means that all children, including those who require additional support, achieve the best possible outcomes and are prepared for successful future learning.
• The practitioners have high expectations for all the children attending. There is a sharp focus on supporting their personal, social and emotional development. Children's behaviour is generally very good, and they understand what is acceptable. They listen intently when staff talk to them, and they respond positively to requests. On occasions, some practitioners quickly intervene in children's disagreements. This means children are not always learning to negotiate with one another to establish a positive solution to a problem, for example when sharing toys.
• Children's language development is progressing well. Practitioners are good role models. They are skilful in allowing children time to process questions and respond. Children are inquisitive and eager to learn. They ask lots of questions. They have a wide vocabulary and use words such as 'atmosphere' when talking about the world around them. Children are keen to solve problems, such as rescuing model dinosaurs that have been frozen in ice. They understand the concept of water being liquid and solid. They use tools safely to crack the ice. Children talk about the different dinosaurs being 'carnivores' or 'herbivores'. They decide warm water is needed to melt the ice and show great pleasure when they succeed.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with more opportunities to take responsibility for themselves and solve problems when negotiating how to share resources.