Happy Kids Newbury Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff show a relentless determination to provide the very best start to children's journey into education. They create an inclusive, calm and caring environment where children's emotional well-being is fostered to a high level. Children snuggle up on cosy chairs for story time. They listen with wonder to stories, songs and rhymes, showing a keenness to join in. Staff support children to manage risks for themselves in the well-resourced garden area. Children show great care as they practise new skills, such as balancing and climbing.

Staff's support for children's individual learning is strong. Activities are accessible and engaging and meet all children's needs very well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff present information to children in an order that very successfully builds on what children already know. They expertly address gaps in children's learning during activities and precisely match their support to meet children's learning needs. Children quickly become independent, resilient learners with an excellent overall attitude to learning.

Staff act as exceptional role models and expectations for behaviour are high. Children behave very well. They share and take turns and learn to understand the importance of being kind to their friends. Children show great determination and persevere when they encounter a challenge in their play. They do not give up easily. Children are happy and safe, and they gain a wide range of skills in readiness for school.

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

• Leaders hold effective oversight of the quality of the curriculum, which is ambitious, and they very accurately identify priorities for children's learning. They regularly take time to discuss what each child has been learning and use this information well to identify any additional help that children might need. Leaders ensure that curriculum priorities are well understood and delivered consistently by all staff. Children receive good support and achieve well.
• Leaders have a detailed and accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and the areas they want to improve even further. Staff are well trained and knowledgeable about early education. Those staff who undertake key roles are experts in their specialism and present as strong role models for other staff. Comprehensive training has helped staff to develop their teaching and they receive precise feedback and training to develop further. Staff feel well supported by leaders. Their views are taken into account and their workload and well-being are given high regard.
• Leaders have high expectations for children's personal development. They ensure children's thoughts and ideas are valued and acted on. For example, children vote for their favourite story. They learn first hand that sometimes their choice might not be chosen and show a mature understanding of the reasons for this. Staff place good attention on supporting children's health. They create calming spaces for children to manage their emotions in the event that they feel overwhelmed.
• Leaders and staff broaden children's understanding of the wider community and the world in which they live. They support children's curiosity in learning new information to support their understanding of the baby hedgehog they have recently rescued. Staff successfully support children's interests through regular updates from the hedgehog charity and through supporting children's excitement around other wildlife in the area. Children show an impressive knowledge of the food that hoglets eat. Their love of nature is further supplemented as staff support children to learn about planting and growth. Staff have identified further plans to support children's understanding of making healthy choices, such as through growing fruits and vegetables.
• Leaders and staff effectively support children's communication and literacy skills. Children benefit from new vocabulary that is expertly modelled to them by the staff, who introduce this seamlessly as children play and explore. Makaton is used well to support all children, including those with SEND, to become strong communicators. Most children share their ideas articulately and are supported to listen when adults and other children are speaking. However, some children are not as confident as their friends to speak up in group situations or join in busy activities.
• Leaders and staff develop strong, purposeful partnerships with parents, carers and other provisions that children attend. This is also reflected in the effective partnerships established with professionals and leaders from local schools. Staff gather and use information well to plan experiences that reflect children's sense of identity outside of the setting and that complement what children learn elsewhere. Parents speak highly of staff and feel included in their children's learning. For example, some families are using Makaton at home as a result of staff sharing the sign of the week.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus more precisely on the support given to quieter and less-confident children so they are able to better access the full range of activities on offer.