First Steps Barley Croft

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settle quickly at this inclusive and welcoming setting. Staff form strong bonds with children in their care. This is demonstrated, for example, by the way that children spontaneously hug staff as they leave the setting at the end of the session. Staff frequently praise children for their efforts and encourage them to 'have a go' at basic tasks. Children develop positive attitudes to their learning and confidently make choices in their play. All children make good progress in their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff make sure that children know what is expected of them. They regularly remind children about the routines of the day. For example, they use pictures and signing to indicate what will happen next. This helps children to move smoothly between, for example, free play and tidying up. Staff consistently support children to understand why they need to behave kindly to others. Staff are positive role models, who are caring, respectful and polite. Younger children use signs and symbols that staff provide to help them understand about their emotions and begin to self-regulate.

The carefully structured curriculum is based around individual children's interests and needs. Children eagerly take part in a range of age-appropriate activities that stimulate all of their senses. Staff motivate them to explore materials and resources, asking questions, such as 'What will happen if?' For example, during water play, children experiment with different objects to discover which sink and which float, developing their early scientific thinking and problem-solving skills.

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

• Leaders and managers provide extensive support for staff development and well-being. They use many different methods to help staff to thrive, including coaching, mentoring, training and effective supervision with set targets. As a result, staff feel valued, confident and well equipped to fulfil their roles. This leads to consistently high-quality teaching and interactions, which have a direct impact on children's progress.
• Staff have a good understanding of the children's learning needs. They have a clear vision of what they want individual children to achieve and how to make this happen. However, on occasion, staff do not plan effectively to engage some older children fully, and hold their attention during larger group activities. This means that the children do not always have sustained concentration during activities to achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Staff are attentive and supportive to children's needs as they play. They intervene skilfully to enhance learning opportunities. For instance, staff support older children to begin to understand about early mathematical concepts, such as time. One example of this is when children recall the days of the week. Staff count with young children as they fill and empty bowls of coloured rice.
• Partnerships with other professionals are strong, which helps them to address any identified gaps swiftly. All children make good progress, including children who speak English as an additional language and those with SEND.
• Staff work well with parents overall, such as when they collect information about children's abilities at the start of their placement. However, the ongoing two-way exchange of information about children's learning and development is not always effective. This means that continuity of learning between the setting and home is not always fully embedded.
• Staff help children to gain a love of books, as they read stories to them with animation and expression. Children enthusiastically join in with refrains and actions to illustrate the story of a bear hunt. They recite familiar songs and rhymes. This helps to promote children's early literacy skills.
• Children learn about how to help keep themselves healthy and safe. Staff talk to them about healthy foods. They teach children about using sun cream and hats and not spending too long in the sun. Older children learn to take safe risks on climbing equipment. Staff promote children's understanding of oral health through a range of activities. For example, children brush sticky material off large sets of pretend teeth. Staff explain why this is important.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to plan and engage even more effectively with children for group activities
• strengthen the two-way exchange of information with parents to ensure a consistent approach to children's care and learning development.