First Steps Cornwall Ltd - Newquay

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel very safe and secure. They show affection with smiles and give hugs to staff, who know them well. Children are kind and thoughtful to one another. For example, pre-school-aged children tell staff what they think their friends may like to play with because they know 'they will love it'.

Leaders support staff in delivering a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do, and what they need to learn next. For example, staff support babies to develop their physical strength and mobility effectively. They use toys and interesting items to motivate babies to roll or crawl. Staff hide plastic farm animals in the sand. Babies show great excitement when they find them. Staff narrate what the babies are doing. Babies smile and babble in response as they do this again and again. Staff understand the positive impact of repetitive play and how this develops babies' understanding.

Partnership with parents and carers is strong. Staff keep parents up to date with their child's learning and development via a digital application online. Parents are confident that their child is safe and well cared for by friendly staff. They welcome the consistent sharing of ideas to further support their child's learning at home. Parents comment positively on the enjoyment that their children get from regular outings.

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

• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) very effectively. The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator advises staff on ways to help children with SEND express their needs. For example, children use 'communication boards', 'now and next boards' or other visual cues to communicate what they would like or need. Staff know their key children very well and respond swiftly to their requests.
• Toddlers learn about what makes them unique. They look at photographs of their families. Staff use these as discussion points for children to learn about similarities and difference. Toddlers learn more about each other's home lives and they all feel included. Pre-school-aged children re-enact family life in the role-play area and develop a strong sense of who they are.
• Staff skilfully develop pre-school-aged children's early literacy skills. They direct children to tune into sounds and describe what they hear. Staff extend this by asking children to put the sound into a sentence and build on their vocabulary. Through discussion with staff, children learn about rhyme and identify that 'fire' rhymes with 'pacifier'.
• Babies make good progress in their self-care skills. Staff support them in becoming independent. For example, staff are patient and take the time to allow older babies to peel a satsuma. Babies are fully engaged, show resilience to complete the task, and respond happily when they succeed.
• Staff support toddlers to share and model how to take turns in group activities. However, staff do not implement an effective communication and language curriculum for toddlers to further develop their listening and speaking skills. For example, staff count numbers out loud. They ask toddlers to count with them, without giving them enough time to join in. Later, although staff sing nursery rhymes to toddlers, they sing very quickly. Toddlers do not always have the opportunity to hear and learn new words.
• Pre-school-aged children develop their spatial awareness and understanding of the world. Staff play alongside them outside and further their learning effectively. Pre-school-aged children collect bark chippings and transport them in a wheelbarrow. Other children pretend to make tea with the aromatic chippings. Some pre-school-aged children look up at the kiwi tree and staff recall what happened when the kiwis fell to the ground. However, staff do not consistently motivate and engage all toddlers outdoors to further their learning. For example, although toddlers are curious to play with puddles of rain in a sand pit, staff do not acknowledge this interest or extend their learning.
• Leaders work in strong partnership with external professionals and local schools. They offer enhanced transitions and specialised planning for children, to better prepare them for their next stage of education. Staff well-being is high and they have regular supervision to support their development. Leaders ensure that managers who are new to their role receive continuous support and guidance, including professional training.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• implement an effective communication and language curriculum for toddlers, to further develop their listening and speaking skills
• motivate and engage all toddlers outdoors to extend and further their learning.