Hasbury Acorns

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, secure and enthusiastic to attend the setting. They have safe and nurturing relationships with staff. Staff create a highly stimulating and thought-provoking environment. This encourages children to become motivated and challenged and they have a real desire to learn. Children concentrate for long periods of time and engage well in their activities. Staff support children to be pro-active in their learning. Children use mind-mapping to discuss ideas about what they would like to learn about. Children become innovative thinkers and build on each others life experiences. Parents use the interactive app to send photographs of what the children do at home. Children show pride in discussing their photographs and experiences with others.

Staff have high expectations for every child. Children show a high level of determination even when encountering difficulties. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive highly effective one-to-one support. SEND children access new materials, textures and activities daily. Children learn about inclusivity and other countries. They celebrate different faiths and cultures. Children have high levels of respect for one another. They engage and include each other in their play. They make friends quickly and develop kind and loving relationships. They share, take turns and understand how their behaviour affects others.

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

• Leadership is exemplary. Leaders ensure staff have very focused and highly effective training. This provides staff with the ability to embed this knowledge into their everyday practice. Leaders encourage staff to follow their passions and complete courses of their choice. They support them to become a team of consistently reflective individuals. The team have weekly meetings, supervisions, appraisals and an open-door policy. This ensures staff are well supported and communicate effectively and consistently to plan for children's next steps.
• Staff provide children with high-quality education and a wealth of opportunities to expand their learning. They have ambitious goals for each individual child, especially those with SEND. The key-person system is very effective. Children benefit from their close relationships, helping them engage well in their learning. Staff have an abundance of knowledge about their children. Staff have clear differentiation for each child, understanding that every child is unique.
• Staff introduce new vocabulary in every activity they do and children model this language in their play. Children understand and follow instruction. Staff promote children's communication through discussion, opinion and individual thought. They include songs, rhymes and stories into their everyday practice and model actions and signs for non-verbal children.
• Staff and children discuss being healthy. Children choose from an array of snack choices. They prepare their own snack, becoming increasingly independent and school ready. Staff encourage SEND children to explore new textures and eat new foods.
• Staff expand on every individual child's life experience. Children learn about the world over a period of eight weeks. They use culinary skills to cook different foods and learn about different cultures. They make pastry stars for Independence day, bake pizzas, try scones for afternoon tea and make their own ice cream. They make marshmallow igloos when exploring Antarctica and junk model volcanoes.
• Children plant their own herbs and grow their own fruit. They watch strawberries, tomatoes, coriander and basil grow. They explore life cycles of plants and insects. They engage in animal activity days, where they hold, take care of and learn about an array of animals. Children learn about bearded dragons, chinchillas, turtles and owls.
• Staff recognise and appreciate that every home life is different. They use a range of communication techniques so all parents can keep up to date. They discuss children's next steps with parents, schools and outside agencies. This provides children with the most consistent and high-quality care. Staff use questionnaires sent out to parents to reflect and improve their practice. Parents state that their children's progress is exceptional. Parents feel supported in getting referrals when their children need extra help.