Happy Kids Thrybergh

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Managers and staff work as a harmonious team and are remarkable at meeting the needs of all children. They work together to ensure that children get the best start to their early education. Staff know children well and all children thrive in this setting. Staff nurture children so that they develop confidence and feel valued. Children make excellent progress from their starting points in learning and staff consistently review and monitor children's progress. Managers and staff build close relationships with parents from the very start. Staff greet families at the beginning of the day and children settle easily into this calm, spacious, caring and stimulating environment.

Children have endless opportunities to explore and experiment indoors and outside in the natural environment. Staff create activities and experiences to meet the interests and abilities of each child. Children excitedly harvest vegetables in the garden. Staff crouch close by and encourage children to search for the vegetables. Staff ask questions and children describe the carrots, potatoes and tomatoes.

Children and staff share meals and snacks together at the table. This helps children to learn to make healthy choices and develop their independence. Children are offered healthy meals, use cutlery, learn to pour drinks and chat together. Staff have been awarded an accreditation for introducing healthy foundations to children, including healthy eating, exercise and brushing teeth. Children's behaviour is excellent. They are patient and kind to each other. Staff teach children to take turns and give them opportunities to take responsibilities, such as spooning and stirring as they make play dough.

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

• Staff identify children's starting points in development during settling-in visits. They observe children and gather information from parents. The manager uses this information to plan a sequenced and challenging curriculum with a clear intention to meets the needs of each child.
• Staff are deployed with care and have clear roles and responsibilities so that they consistently offer rich experiences to meet the needs of all children. Each child has a key person, who builds a close bond with children and their parents. Staff are engaged and highly motivated. This helps children to show high levels of confidence in social situations. Children respect each other and demonstrate a clear understanding of the importance of good behaviour.
• Interactions between children and staff are exceptional. Staff listen to children and respond with care and affection so that children feel valued. Staff tune into each child, they repeat back the correct pronunciation of words and consistently reiterate their understanding of children's language.
• Staff are skilful, creative and playful in their interactions to extend children's language. For example, they pretend they have forgotten the play dough ingredients to encourage children to remember what they have learned. Children gleefully fill in the gaps.
• Staff speak to parents in daily conversations and invite parents to play sessions, where they find out more about children and share ideas. Parents know their child's key person well and say that they trust and value staff. They say that their children love the setting and are making excellent progress. Parents value the understanding and support from staff.
• Staff are emotionally available for children. They sit among children as they play, creating a calm environment where children can make choices. Staff promote a love of books and reading. Books are available in every area and children enjoy choosing, turning pages and being read to.
• Managers and staff work closely with a wide range of professionals including health visitors, the inclusion team, speech and language support and educational psychologists. Staff develop individual learning plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They recognise children's progress and celebrate every small achievement. Managers and staff support children's moves to school through sharing information and visits with parents, school and other professionals.
• Managers are knowledgeable about support systems. For example, they make prompt referrals to outside agencies, receive specialist support to develop interventions and access funding so that they offer the best care for children. They have used additional funding to build a sensory area and to provide sports activities to build the confidence of children in small groups.
• The manager leads with great skill and openness. She is knowledgeable about children and staff, who like and trust her. Staff say they feel listened to and valued. They are knowledgeable, sensitive and flexible. Staff constantly evaluate and reflect on their practice. They know each child well and can explain why and what they are doing to support children. Staff recognise what has worked well and what might need adapting.