Freeston Tots

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are helped to settle into their play on arrival. The setting is equipped with exciting and interesting resources, which children are enthusiastic to explore. Staff are caring and calm in their interactions with children. They form close bonds and supervise children well. They offer cuddles and know how to support children who require reassurance. This ensures that children's individual needs are recognised and met.

Children understand the routine of the day and what is expected of them. They mirror staff's interactions and are supported to use good manners. Children independently move around the setting and know what to expect next. Staff understand how to build on the foundations of children's learning and the skills they acquire. They support children to develop their concentration skills and focus their learning.

Leaders have an ambitious curriculum for children in their care. They want all children to aspire to be the best they can and achieve their dreams. They ensure that all children have opportunities to experience things they may not have previously been exposed to. Staff regularly review and adapt the curriculum for the children in their care, according to their individual needs.

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

• Children have many opportunities to develop physically. Staff recognise the importance of developing gross motor skills. Children enjoy joining in with their friends during action songs, stamping their feet and spinning around. They practise on the scooters as they move confidently around the outdoor area.
• Staff use repetition and descriptive language in their interactions with children. They offer an ongoing narrative as children play. Staff work hard to extend children's vocabulary by introducing new words as they talk about 'scooping and scraping the mud' in the outdoor area. However, at times, staff do not use the full words to encourage children to move on from 'baby' speak. In addition, staff do not always respond quickly to reduce the use of dummies, which can impact on developing speech.
• Children develop a love of literacy as they enjoy story time, helping to turn the pages and anticipate what is going to happen next. Staff use props to engage children further. Children participate in schemes that enable them to develop their muscle coordination for mark-making and later writing skills.
• Staff offer focused interventions to children who require additional support. They use proven strategies to facilitate children's language development when awaiting formal interventions from other professionals. These support all children to make progress in their learning and development.
• Staff support children well to manage their feelings and resolve any conflicts with their friends. They sing a 'kind hands' song as they greet each other at the start of the session. Staff act as positive role models as they calmly interact with the children and use praise to celebrate achievements. This contributes to children's growing confidence and self-esteem.
• Staff ensure that all children are able to be independent in their learning and take care of their own needs. They learn how to wash their hands before snack and put on their coats and shoes with support before outdoor play. Children expertly pour their own drinks using small jugs and thrive on the praise given by staff.
• Staff work hard to engage parents in their children's learning. They use baseline assessments to identify children's starting points, and key workers track children's progress. Regular assessments ensure that children's progress can be monitored and acted on swiftly. Staff share children's next steps with parents and provide support to extend children's learning at home. Parents spoken with were complimentary about the provision and felt staff kept them up to date about children's progress.
• Managers ensure that staff have the appropriate skills to prepare them for their role. They carry out supervision and informal discussions to identify staff training needs and check on staff well-being. Managers have arrangements in place to monitor staff practice and ensure their suitability.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve support for children to develop their speech and language by monitoring the use of dummies while they are talking
• help staff understand how to develop the foundations for language to build on children's already developing vocabulary by encouraging the use of correct words.