Forest Footsteps Childcare - Romsey Abbey

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children separate from their parents with ease and confidently enter the building. Staff support children to settle and place a strong focus on their happiness. Children learn well, as staff provide a broad, ambitious curriculum and an environment that is inviting. For example, children play cooperatively together. They re-enact Christmas Eve and use accessible resources as 'presents'. Children take on different family roles in their imaginative play.

Children feel safe and secure, and behaviour is good. They understand the boundaries and rules. For example, during the forest school activity, children place cones around the perimeter of the wooded area. They confidently explain they must not go past these, and they can only explore within the enclosed area.

Staff use every opportunity to develop children's communication and language. They plan small groups effectively to focus on this. Staff encourage children to participate in Makaton signing and initiate discussions about holidays. All children take an active role in the groups. Children have access to a variety of books, both inside and out, and access the lending library. Consequently, they have the opportunity to continue to develop their communication and literacy skills with their parents at home.

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

• The manager has a clear vision for the setting, and staff work well together. Staff report that their well-being is good, and they know and understand their roles. Professional development is a key aspect, and staff regularly attend training to enhance their knowledge and skills. For example, some staff are forest school trained, and others are starting their training to enable them to be qualified.
• Staff provide a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. They constantly review what they provide, based on assessments of children and their interests and needs. Staff encourage children to think for themselves. For example, they ask them how to make brown paint. Children suggest mixing the black and yellow colours, and staff follow the idea. Children confidently recall their experiences of watching a television programme about paint colours. As a result, they were able to share their knowledge with staff.
• Parents speak highly of the setting. Staff work closely with parents to understand, and provide for, their children's individual needs. Parents say they feel very well supported, and staff enhance all aspects of their children's development. They share how they like to look at the photographs on the online portal with their children. This enables them to talk about what they have been doing during the day.
• The manager and staff work in partnership with local schools and pre-schools. This helps to support children's ongoing development and transitions to the next stage of learning. They work closely with other professionals to target help effectively. Staff use funding well to support children and their families. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have their needs met well. All children make good progress from their starting points.
• Children's personal development is secure. They understand how to keep themselves healthy and are confident in the daily routines. For example, children regularly access the 'snuffle station', complete with mirror, tissues, and bin. Children understand the importance of washing their hands after blowing their noses. They also wash hands after playing outside, using the toilet, and before mealtimes. This helps children to understand the importance of personal hygiene.
• Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. For example, during forest school, they persevere in their quest to find bugs. Staff encourage children to view these closely under the magnifying glasses and talk about what they have found.
• There are clear routines throughout the day. However, occasionally, transitions between playtime and lunchtime are not fully effective. Staff sit all children down for story time, which creates a large group. Some children struggle to engage and do not show enjoyment in the story.
• Overall, children's creativity is well developed. They have access to outdoor play and to a variety of resources and activities. However, on occasion, staff do not offer encouragement to children to develop their own ideas during drawing activities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the less effective elements of the daily routine to better support children to engage in story times
• support staff in providing suitable creative activities that allow children to independently explore their own ideas.