Happy Kids Heybury Close

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Highly-skilled staff afford a warm welcome to children and their families at this inclusive setting. Detailed information is gathered about each child when they first start to attend. Staff use this information exceptionally well to help ensure that each child's unique needs are celebrated and taken into account from the outset. Staff have helped children to become exceptionally skilled learners who demonstrate a real excitement and thirst for learning. They engage deeply in the carefully considered opportunities staff make available. A meticulously considered, unique and well-sequenced curriculum reflects the needs of each child. Staff knowledge of the curriculum and the ways in which children prefer to learn enable them to differentiate and extend children's learning successfully. Every opportunity that children choose to engage in becomes an opportunity to learn. Staff skilfully help children to recall previous learning and build on what they already know and can do. For example, when attempting to rescue toy animals frozen in ice, children recall how snow melts in winter when the sun comes out. They decide to pour warm water on the ice to help it to melt. Children's enthusiasm to learning is infectious and they make excellent progress from their starting points.

Staff are highly-effective role models. They gently support children to understand their feelings and to be mindful of the consequences of their behaviour on those around them. Staff use a wide range of age-appropriate strategies when teaching children to regulate their own behaviour. All children behave incredibly well. This contributes to the harmonious learning environment where children explore with impressive confidence and self-assurance.

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

• Staff give incredibly detailed thought to the learning environments. Resources are carefully selected to enhance children's learning and to afford opportunities for them to revisit and practise previously taught skills. For example, babies enjoy looking at simple picture books and learn to turn the pages. Toddlers begin to remember parts of their favourite stories. Meanwhile, pre-school children confidently re-tell well-known stories and point to the words in books, identifying the letters that are also in their name. Children confidently build upon their previous learning, remembering and using their learning in new situations.
• Staff give great priority to developing children's communication and language skills. They are always on hand to talk to children about what they see them doing. Staff ask thought-provoking questions and carefully listen to children's responses. They skilfully introduce new vocabulary and encourage children to practise using new words in a sentence when speaking. For example, when talking about prehistoric animals staff introduce the word 'mammoth' and challenge children to think of a sentence that includes the word. Opportunities such as these help to extend children's impressive communication skills.
• Staff provide a wealth of opportunities for children to extend their mathematical skills, both indoors and outside. Babies hold up their fingers and point as they count to two while singing nursery rhymes. Older children compare quantities and understand concepts such as more and less. Children use and practise mathematical skills in their play. For example, when building towers with blocks, children count and compare the number of bricks. They confidently use language such as 'one more' when comparing the number of bricks to be added when making the towers the same height. Children are fully supported to be competent mathematicians.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding are incredibly well supported. The SEND co-ordinator is extremely knowledgeable and provides valuable support to staff and parents. Robust monitoring of children's progress enables staff to identify and address any potential gaps in children's learning and development swiftly. Staff work in close partnership with a range of services to ensure that children receive the support they need in order to make the best possible progress. The needs of all children are incredibly well met.
• Staff support children to be independent in both their actions and thoughts. Children are encouraged to 'have a go' and to try new things before staff offer their support. They build upon what they are currently able to do and master new skills with determination. For example, children learn to use scissors and other tools with increasing self-control. This helps to build children's confidence in their own abilities and increase their independence over time.
• The arrangements for the support and supervision of staff are comprehensive. Leaders observe staff as they teach children and identify aspects of practice that can be enhanced even further. In addition, staff are encouraged to reflect on their own skills. They regularly critically evaluate their own skills by reviewing video recordings of their interactions with children. Opportunities such as these, along with precisely targeted professional development opportunities, help to ensure that teaching is consistently at the highest level.
• Staff support parents to understand their child's learning and development progress. They regularly share information on a range of topics such as, the use of dummies, behaviour management and safe sleep routines. Furthermore, staff provide targeted support to parents that helps them to contribute to their child's next steps in learning at home. Parents share that they feel empowered. They particularly value the home book loan scheme and online story reading training provided. Opportunities such as these, help to provide a highly consistent approach to children's learning and development.