Hebble Harlequins @ Shaw Lodge

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the setting confidently and quickly settle into the familiar routines. The curriculum is challenging for children, and staff know the children well and continually build on their knowledge and skills. Children enjoy learning new skills and becoming increasingly independent. They help to prepare their own snacks and use tools safely for a range of purposes as they spread butter on their bread and serve themselves at teatime.

Staff listen well to the children and encourage them to make choices and decisions about how they spend their time in the setting. Children enjoy learning about what changes occur when the seasons change and talk about their plans for Halloween. Older children, who attend the setting after the school day, enjoy supporting the younger children with tasks, and together they enjoy problem-solving. Children behave well and understand what is expected of them. Staff act as good role models for the children and good relationships exist.

Children develop an early appreciation and love of books. They enjoy books with staff, as a small group, and independently as they help themselves to their favourite books. They talk to their friends about what they remember about the story and what they think might happen next. They talk about similarities and differences between the characters in the book and themselves, sharing their own experiences.

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

• The curriculum is well planned, and staff ensure key skills of focus are brought into learning experiences for children, in line with their next steps in learning. The provider also builds in opportunities to allow children to take part in quieter activities and time where they can just relax and chat with their friends. Many of them are tired at the end of the school day.
• Staff engage in lots of dialogue with children, and this helps to promote their communication and language. Staff are skilled in giving children time to process their thoughts and respond to questions, unhurried and in their own time.
• Children's physical skills are developing well. Staff provide opportunities for children to learn new skills as they peel and chop different fruits at mealtimes. Through discussion, they learn about the importance of healthy eating and making good food choices, as well as how to look after their teeth.
• Staff support children to gain an understanding of others' feelings and to learn how their behaviour impacts on others. Staff help children to work through any disputes and come up with resolutions, which helps them to problem-solve. They learn about responsibility as they help to clear up after themselves and complete self-care tasks, scraping any leftovers into the food recycling bins. This all helps to prepare them for their transitions to school.
• Children of all ages enjoy a variety of activities that help them to develop a range of skills. Younger children learn from older children how to play group games that have rules, and they learn to listen to others and wait their turn. Older children learn skills such as patience and how to take account of younger children's ideas and incorporate these into their play.
• Partnerships with parents are mostly effective and parents report how they can see the good progress their children are making. However, not all parents are clear on who their child's key person is and of the role of the key person.
• Staff have regular supervisions and appraisal meetings, and the staff and leadership team work well together. The manager is passionate about continuously building on practice and she works well with the staff to reflect on the quality of what they provide for children. Together, they have a good grasp of what they do well and what they want to work on improving next. They also involve children in these evaluations and consult them about what other resources they would like and experiences they would enjoy.
• Staff deployment is effective and required staff-to-child ratios are adhered to. Safe walking practices, including regular headcounts, help to ensure all children are accounted for when undertaking school runs to collect children and to drop them off.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure a consistent approach to partnership working with parents, to ensure all parents know who their child's key person is and understand the role of the key person.