Godstone Farm Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families are warmly welcomed at this happy and fun setting. They enter, eager to go and explore. Staff know their children well and plan engaging activities for them based on their needs and interests. Children are quick to settle and play well with their friends. Children enjoy making their own ribbon sticks with creative resources. They share these proudly with each other. Staff praise children and encourage them. Staff are good role models. They celebrate children's achievements and offer cuddles and smiles. Children's emotional well-being is well supported. Staff are caring and kind. Children benefit from these positive relationships. They help their friends to get ready to go to the farm and wait for each other, excitedly talking about feeding the goats.

Children benefit from a well-planned curriculum based on their interests and next steps. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) very well. They have successfully focused on developing children's communication and language skills following the COVID-19 pandemic. They support children to communicate using sign language. Staff use children's home languages to support them to settle in effectively. Children delight in listening to stories and joining in with rhymes. Babies enjoy exploring musical instruments when staff sing songs. Children behave well. They enjoy talking with their friends about themselves, looking in mirrors together and identifying similarities and differences.

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

• Children with SEND make good progress. Leaders and managers use funding well to ensure children are provided with one-to-one support. They purchase additional resources to promote children's communication skills. Children who did not talk now confidently communicate. Staff are proactive in seeking external guidance, help and advice.
• Staff morale is good, and they confirm they feel valued. The development of staff knowledge is a high priority. Staff say that they enjoy their jobs. They talk highly of the support they receive and the focus on their well-being. They say that they are encouraged to gain further qualifications. They say that they appreciate the open and honest culture. They talk highly of each other. They benefit from regular opportunities to discuss children and share practice.
• Children are encouraged to keep themselves safe. They put on their jackets to walk to the farm, lining up well and holding each other's hands as they walk across together. However, at times, adults do things for children that they could do themselves. For example, adults cut up their snacks and wipe their noses for them. This impacts on children demonstrating that they can do things independently.
• Staff have designed the learning environments to support the needs of children. For example, they have created outside areas to enhance children's physical skills. However, there are times during the day when the youngest children have to wait unnecessarily. This impacts on children doing things independently.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the setting. They say that their children have made good progress in their social skills, confidence and speech. They talk highly of the relationships that their children have with staff. They say it is like a family. They are very positive about the support and communication that they receive to help their children at home.
• Leaders and managers work well together. They are well supported by senior colleagues. They share a strong vision for the setting. They ensure changes are put in place swiftly to ensure improvements. They are passionate about accessing support from external agencies, such as the local authority, to develop practice and provision further.
• Leaders and managers are reflective and proactive. They have positive plans for the future. They have successful partnerships within the local community and with schools. They ensure that children have effective transitions to school. They have very successful relationships with the farm next door. This supports children's understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the care of animals.
• Children benefit from a wide range of opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. They enjoy making play dough with staff, talking about how much flour they need and how much to mix in. Staff are patient and calm. Staff teach children new skills. For example, children are supported well to count the cars as they push them down a tube. This develops children's mathematical knowledge.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase the opportunities for children to develop their independence and do things by themselves
• reflect on transition times for the youngest children to ensure that they do not have to wait unnecessarily.