Four Oaks

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The management team has designed the curriculum to meet the development needs of every child. Staff implement a curriculum that is engaging, ambitious and interesting for children. Children's individual next steps in learning are met in the curriculum. Staff plan specific activities to support the developmental goals of all children. Staff are passionate and want all children to thrive. They help ignite children's curiosity and love for learning. Children develop skills that will benefit them in the next stage of their learning.

Staff are very nurturing and supportive. They work hard to give meaningful attention to every child. Children who become unsettled receive hugs and words of reassurance. This helps children to feel safe and strengthens their bonds with staff. These strong relationships help children to feel secure at the setting. They are confident and well behaved. Even children who have recently started at the setting quickly settle and act 'at home' there. They play happily and engage with the opportunities on offer. Staff complete their roles with kindness and respect. This creates a learning environment in which children thrive. Parents are valued and feel included in their children's learning and development. They praise the staff and management team for their supportive approach. Staff provide parents with advice to help support children's learning at home.

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

• The management team is proactive and strives to offer the best possible standards in care and education for all children. They have designed a sequenced curriculum to prepare children for their eventual move to school. Leaders have sought support from the local authority and independent consultants. They use feedback to support staff to reflect on practice and make positive changes. This supportive system for staff helps to ensure that teaching is consistently good.
• Staff mostly support children to develop their communication skills. For example, staff teach children to use pictures to communicate their needs. Staff introduce new words to children as they play. However, staff do not always allow children time to respond to their questions. They fill the silence with more questions. These strategies do not help children consistently engage in meaningful back- and-forth interactions.
• Children enjoy their time at the setting and eagerly explore the activities on offer. They giggle as they squeeze play dough in their hands, dig in sand and complete jigsaws. They show impressive levels of focus and determination. However, at times, staff do not ensure that all children know when an activity is about to end. For example, some children do not realise that tidy-up time has started as staff do not give enough warning. This upsets children who are fully engrossed in their play.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their knowledge about the local community. They invite visitors such as firefighters and the police to help children learn about people who help them. Staff create opportunities for children to celebrate some cultural events. However, the curriculum does not always effectively support children to learn about and reflect on their differences and understand what makes them unique. This does not fully prepare children for the diverse world around them.
• Managers and staff are committed to removing barriers that children face in learning. Staff complete thorough assessments of children's development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities get rapid and targeted support to help them thrive. Managers create robust links with external professionals. Staff work closely with parents and carers. They swiftly put interventions in place to ensure that all children progress.
• Books are available to children at all times. Children independently seek out and look at stories. They smile as they look at the colourful pictures, and older children turn pages and scan the text confidently. Staff support this learning further by reading stories to children and pointing out what they can see in the books. This is embedded across all areas of the nursery curriculum. Staff provide reading packs for children to share with their families. Staff support children to develop an enjoyment of reading.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• implement ways to manage transitions between activities that support children to understand what is expected of them effectively
• support staff to fully embed strategies to support children's communication and language development
• enhance opportunities for children to learn about and reflect on their differences and understand what makes them unique to prepare them for the diverse world around them.