Footprints Learning for Life Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are comfortable and confident in this safe and homely environment. They demonstrate they are happy and have high levels of self-esteem and perseverance. For instance, children keep trying as they throw hoops to a target and thread tricky items on to string. Children are curious as they experiment mixing coloured paints to decorate pumpkins in their chosen colour. They are fascinated and in awe of the power of magnets in a turn-taking game. This is because the provider has developed focused action plans to support staff's knowledge of the curriculum intent. Staff focus well on the skills that children need to learn to help them move on to the next stage, such as dressing, social and personal care skills. Staff's enthusiasm and participation make activities lively, motivating and fun for children.

Staff encourage children to behave well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For instance, they use consistent gentle reminders about their expectations for children's behaviour during indoor and outdoor play. Staff help children to learn about safety and explain clearly to them how accidents can happen. Leaders have reflected deeply since the last inspection. Staff consistently assess the risks to children during activities, including cross-contamination. They recognise the needs and behaviours of each child in their care and use this information effectively to anticipate and prevent accidents. Children behave well and gain good social skills and respect for others.

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

• Leaders have improved many aspects of the setting and have taken steps to meet the actions set from the previous inspection. They have high expectations for staff's teaching and children's progress. Leaders value the staff team and have put their health and well-being as a long-term focus. They provide effective and consistent staff supervision sessions and support.
• Leaders are confident about the curriculum intent, in particular, how staff help children to gain the skills they need to be ready for school. However, although they have identified a need to strengthen staff's interactions with children around early mathematics, some staff do not yet have a clear understanding of how to do this consistently. Staff confidently talk to children about numbers, quantity and shapes but do not always introduce other more complex mathematical concepts, such as estimating, weight and measure.
• Leaders describe how staff support children with SEND. They work well with external agencies to improve outcomes for children. Leaders ensure that they use pupil premium funding to benefit children's learning. For example, they have developed a sensory room and an exciting craft room with a 'beach' area, which has had a positive impact on children's imagination and communication skills.
• Staff prioritise children's good health. They have completed targeted training to improve their understanding of safeguarding, risk and the curriculum. This means that staff implement stringent procedures for children's health and hygiene, and demonstrate a secure knowledge of children's individual health care plans. Staff teach children good hygiene practices, with particular regard to handwashing, independent toileting and nose blowing.
• Leaders make sure that key-person arrangements are effective and that partnerships with parents remain strong. Staff have a very good knowledge of children's family circumstances. Parents spoken to during the inspection say they have huge confidence in the setting and always receive a warm welcome when they arrive with their child. They state they can see a difference in their children's progress and that they are given more ideas to help their children's learning at home. Parents say that leaders and staff make them feel like they are part of 'one big, happy family'.
• Leaders make sure that staff understand their role to encourage children's language and to acquire a love of books. Children of all ages enjoy being read to and become totally absorbed in what is happening in the story. Children look at books and link their ideas to past events. For instance, they recall a recent visit from the police and use the new vocabulary they learned during the visit. This supports children's early literacy and language skills.
• Leaders and staff have worked hard to implement the curriculum to help all children to build their learning over time. However, occasionally, staff supporting the most able children do not fully extend and challenge these children to build on what they already know and can do to link their thoughts and ideas, such as when designing and discussing large construction models. This impacts on the progress children can make.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed the curriculum for early mathematics to extend all children's understanding of mathematical language and concepts
• support staff to make better use of their interactions in order to challenge the most able children's thinking and maximise their learning.