Gaytongoslings Daycare Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited and eager to join in group learning activities at the setting. They find their own space and wait patiently as they listen to staff's instructions. Staff introduce activities with enthusiasm, gaining children's attention and developing their love of learning. There is a focus on children's personal, social and emotional development when they first begin at the setting. Staff promote children's confidence and well-being by providing a safe and welcoming environment. Children enjoy looking at family photos in books, and this supports children to share experiences from home and feel a sense of belonging.

Staff provide clear boundaries and expectations. They remind children of the rules, such as 'walking feet indoors', and intervene quickly, if needed. Staff praise positive behaviours. Children enjoy playing in groups and cooperate well with their peers. They demonstrate kindness and respect throughout their play.

Staff plan meaningful and age-appropriate experiences for children to practise and extend their skills. For example, younger children enjoy exploring messy activities, playdough and making marks in foam. As children progress, they learn to use scissors and hold pens correctly. Additionally, staff provide a huge range of resources for children to use. Children enjoy painting, making bracelets and creating a range of pictures. They demonstrate excellent skill and concentration, using a range of tools and resources to develop different techniques and strengthen their fine motor skills.

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

• Staff promote excellent partnerships working with parents. Information is shared on the online app for parents to access daily. Children's progress and next steps are also shared, and staff provide information and resources for parents to use at home. For example, there is a lending library, resources and story sacks that children borrow each week. This supports children's home learning very well and parents comment on the excellent progress children make.
• Staff skilfully differentiate their teaching to meet the needs of all children. For example, when taking part in a matching game, staff extend children's language skills. Younger children learn colours and the name of different objects, while the most-able children learn positional language and talk about their experiences. This supports children well and they become confident communicators.
• The outdoor area is vast and full of a range of learning opportunities. Children enjoy experimenting with movement as they balance across the stepping stones and climb the steps. They strengthen their large motor movements when throwing and kicking the balls and playing group games of skittles. Children demonstrate deep levels of engagement and concentration outdoors, engrossed in their learning. However, the organisation of daily routines means that children have limited time outdoors. As a result, some children do not benefit from much learning in their preferred environment.
• Staff at the setting have a good understanding of children's needs and know how to support their progress appropriately. They plan clear and achievable targets for children to help them make good progress in their overall learning. Children benefit from information sharing between professionals to give them a good standard of support and consistency in their learning.
• There is a transition procedure in place for children moving between the two rooms at the setting. Staff facilitate visits to the next room, where children meet their key person and explore their new environment. However, staff do not always ensure that information about children's learning and progress is shared appropriately before children move. Therefore, staff are not always able to provide consistent support for children's learning.
• Staff teach children about the world around them. They use a globe and different resources to encourage children to explore different ways of living. Children explore a range of clothing and objects to help them understand the similarities and differences between them, helping them to gain a deeper understanding of the world in which they live.
• The management team has implemented a robust supervision process for staff at the setting. They use peer observations and formal discussions to monitor staffs progress and identify any areas of weakness across the provision. The management team provides support and guidance to help staff provide a good standard of education and care for all children across the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the structure of daily routines to increase opportunities for children to access the outdoor environment
• strengthen the arrangements for when children transition between rooms so that information is shared between key persons to support consistency in children's learning.