Fir Vale Children Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and busy throughout the day. They grow in confidence and independence through well planned and motivating activities indoors and out. For example, they design their own drainpipe tracks to race toy vehicles and instruct each other on ways to make cars go faster. Staff have high expectations for all children's behaviour and emotional development. They provided strong support for children who were absent during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic lockdowns by, for instance, providing home-learning activities. This helped children settle smoothly into their play on their return to the children's centre.

Children feel safe and secure. Staff establish close relationships with parents from the start and this contributes to the children's sense of well-being and belonging. They make positive use of their bilingual skills to support children and their families. Children behave well. Staff provide sensitive support for children who find it difficult to manage their own behaviour. For example, children learn to take their turn and be patient as they tenderly care for the butterflies emerging from their chrysalis. The manager leads her well-qualified staff team well. They are further developing procedures for all staff to share ideas and build on their skills.

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

• Children are introduced to many songs and rhymes throughout their time at the children's centre. They quickly become familiar with them and eagerly join in with the repeated phrases and rhyming words. Staff read stories in an animated and lively manner and plan exciting activities to help children recall and understand them. For example, children create giant floor charts and pictures to remember the different foods 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' eats.
• The manager provides strong leadership. She is supported well by senior staff and the trustees. There is a clear vision for future development, which is shared with staff and parents. Staff are given time and opportunity to access training opportunities and contribute to improving the curriculum. The manager is currently leading staff in undertaking research to identify and share the best practice through the children's centre. This is still at an early stage of development.
• Staff help children to acquire the skills they need for their future learning, including making a successful start to school life. They accurately review children's achievements and plan carefully for their consistent progress. Children learn to listen well to others and follow increasingly complex instructions. For example, they work together to decide where to plant seeds and bulbs and understand the conditions they need for growth. Staff engage well with children and, generally, ask good questions. Staff support children's language development well, overall. However, they do not always give children time to answer fully and express their reasoning.
• Children are well behaved. Staff are kind and gentle role models to children. They warmly praise them and value their ideas and achievements. Staff skilfully reinforce children's good behaviour through purposeful praise. They successfully help them to explore their emotions and learn to be tolerant of others. Strong partnerships with other agencies, such as speech therapists, support children who need additional help in their learning or emotional development.
• Parents strongly recommend the children's centre. They appreciate staff's knowledge and understanding of children's interests and attitudes. Staff use the detailed information parents provide about children's interests, skills and knowledge to plan precisely for future learning. Parents welcome the useful information they regularly receive on their children's progress. They particularly appreciate the support they have received during the pandemic.
• The children's centre makes a good contribution to children's health and well-being. Children enjoy participating in initiatives, such as 'The Active Toothbrush Project', and understand the benefits. Staff offer cookery courses to parents to help them give their children the healthiest start to life.
• Staff encourage children to develop their understanding of shape and numbers through their play. For example, the children decide to count the number of pumpkin seeds in the packet. They wonder how much space twenty seeds will need to grow.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop their questioning skills to ensure they give children time and opportunity to answer fully and express their reasoning
• build on the provision for all staff to develop their skills through sharing the best practice within the setting.