Grasshopper Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and secure at this welcoming pre-school. They show they feel safe and secure in the caring and nurturing environment that staff create. Staff understand the importance of supporting children to make firm attachments to adults involved in their care. They use settling-in sessions to build relationships with parents and ensure they have the information they need to provide continuity in children's care. Staff support children to try new learning experiences and engage them in the interesting activities they have planned. Children enjoy a range of progressive learning opportunities that support them to make progress towards what they need to learn next.

Children confidently explore the outdoor environment, developing their physical skills. Older children learn to take risks safely when they use the tyre swings. They practise their coordination and balance as they ride on scooters. Staff stay close at hand, supervising children and offering a steadying hand to help them gain their balance when needed. Children enjoy hunting for bugs, and staff help them to name the bugs they have found. Staff talk to children about putting the bugs safely back on the plants.

Children behave well and create positive relationships with others. Young children learn to share toy animals as they role play in the veterinary clinic. Older children develop friendships with each other as they play games together.

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

• Staff plan a range of activities for children to engage in each day. They have created a curriculum that encourages children to develop the skills that they will need to gain to be ready for their eventual move to school. For example, they focus on developing children's communication and social skills, such as sharing and taking turns. However, not all staff are fully aware of the curriculum intention. This has led to some inconsistency in the implementation of the curriculum.
• Children benefit from good-quality interactions with staff to help develop their learning. However, on occasion, staff are quick to solve problems for children, rather than encouraging them to find solutions for themselves. For example, when children pretend to run out of petrol while riding on scooters and cars, staff quickly intervene and suggest they go to the petrol station. This limits the opportunities for children to solve problems and test out their own ideas.
• Children behave well. Staff talk to children about their behaviour to help them to learn how to manage their feelings. They gently remind children about positive choices in their play. Staff have clear expectations of behaviour in the setting and expertly share these with children. They use positive reinforcement and consistently praise children as they take turns and share the resources on offer. Children learn to be kind and compassionate to their peers and build relationships that will support them in the future as they transition to school.
• Staff create an outdoor environment that is interesting and exciting for children to engage in. Children enjoy the variety of opportunities to be physically active. They drive ride-on cars and balance on beams. These activities develop children's balance and gross motor skills. Children enjoy exploring a wooded area outside and take turns to drive toy tractors. As they play, they learn to take turns, cooperate and collaborate with others.
• Children focus on their chosen activity and show a high level of curiosity. For example, they discover hidden treasure in a tray of shredded paper. Staff skilfully develop children's communication and language skills as they help younger children to name the objects they have found. They use questions to support older children to discuss the objects.
• Parents report that their children are well cared for and staff are very friendly and approachable. Parents say their children love to attend and have formed good relationships with staff. However, staff do not always work closely with parents to help them understand what their children need to learn next and how parents can support their children's learning at home.
• Staff feel well supported in their well-being and ongoing professional development. Regular feedback successfully supports their knowledge and skills. They are encouraged to reflect on their practice and discuss any training needs that they may have.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to have a clear understanding of the curriculum intent so that they are consistently focused on what they want children to learn
• strengthen how staff engage with children to promote children's deeper thinking and help them learn how to solve problems for themselves
• develop links with parents, sharing more information about children's next steps and ideas of how parents can extend children's learning at home.