Grass Roots @ New Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at this very welcoming setting happy and eager to learn and have fun with their friends. They show lots of enthusiasm as they join in the wide range of activities. This extends their learning, both indoors and outdoors, and they benefit from the effective free flow between these areas. Children confidently choose where they want to play and learn. They show high levels of concentration in this stimulating, well-organised environment. Children love to go to the local forest school and visit the allotment, which helps them to develop a strong understanding of our world. They have a support dog that visits daily and helps to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with emotional challenges.

Children feel safe and secure, and they understand the well-established routines. For instance, they spring into action as the 'Mission Impossible' theme tune plays. Children exclaim, 'It's tidy up time', and they gather and organise the environment. Children have wonderfully developed social skills as they share experiences with friends who are important to them.

The setting has an embedded holistic approach. This means that the unique needs of all families are recognised, and support is offered. There is a wide range of support available, including breastfeeding groups, a foodbank and financial advice and support. This provides children and families with a sense of belonging.

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

• Leaders and staff share an ambitious intention for children to learn, develop and be prepared for their next stage of development, including school. This is achieved through creating a well-organised curriculum and learning environment that is both resourceful and imaginative.
• Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Children move around the setting in a calm and respectful manner. They congregate in small groups and share meaningful conversations as they share the 'emotion stones'. When children have problems regulating their behaviour, they are supported swiftly and effectively by staff. This results in children having exceptional levels of personal development and a sense of self.
• Children are learning to be healthy. They enjoy meals with lots of vegetables. Staff offer lots of encouragement as the children eat enthusiastically. This is a social occasion, and children share their experiences. A child asks, 'Have you got some bread for me?', and their friend responds, 'I do, I do'. Children know where their food comes from, and they have regular visits to the allotment. Staff are highly successful in providing opportunities that help children learn to be healthy.
• Leaders in this setting have high levels of experience and expertise. They constantly role model and offer high levels of support for the development of staff. This results in a highly skilled and motivated staff team, which offers consistent and highly effective interactions with children. This is seen throughout the setting, as in all areas and activities, staff are excellent role models, engrossed in the teaching they are providing. Children are provided with high-quality, child-focused interactions, which enhance their knowledge and respond to their well-being and needs.
• Staff have an incredible knowledge of the children and their individual needs. This is enhanced by a highly effective key-person system. Partnership with parents is key. Effective communication supports those children who need extra support and ensures their learning and care needs are met promptly and effectively.
• Leaders and staff adopt a holistic approach that embodies inclusive practice and equal opportunities for all children and their families. Adaptations are made to ensure that all children, whatever their challenges, can access all areas of learning. Families and children feel valued, which results in a community that embraces diversity.
• Children are strong communicators and are confident to express their feelings and opinions. They use a good range of vocabulary, and staff are highly effective at extending language. They are enthusiastic as they share their love of books and recall the stories. This is further supported by visual aids. Children develop strong, secure foundations for future learning, preparing them to become fluent readers.
• Leaders have high expectations for practitioners to develop their practice to ensure the best outcomes for children. This is achieved through regular appraisals and a well-developed, in-house training curriculum for all staff. All practitioners feel well supported and able to meet their professional goals. This results in a highly motivated staff team, which is equipped to implement the ambitious curriculum for children.
• Staff implement activities that have clear and consistent learning intentions. They consider the individual needs of children in small-group activities and adapt their practice to deeply engage children. During small-group activities, children are deeply engaged and enthusiastic to learn. Children are making excellent progress to achieve the best possible outcomes.