Howletch & Shotton Primary Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy, settled and emotionally secure in the warm, welcoming environment. Babies enjoy positive interactions with staff. Staff show older babies small-world animals and sing 'Old McDonald'. Babies respond by repeating the words from the song. Staff give children lots of praise and encouragement. This helps to raise children's confidence and self-esteem. Older babies enjoy exploring a variety of open-ended resources. They scoop, pour and make marks in pink 'fairy dust' and concentrate as they place coins into an interactive toy. Babies enjoy looking at books and pointing to the animals. This helps to develop children's early literacy skills.

Older children choose to play in the well resourced garden. They show a positive attitude to their learning as they move around the setting independently choosing what to play with. Children's behaviour is good. Staff encourage children to share and take turns with their friends. For instance, children take turns using a magnifying glass and a bug catcher. Children have excellent opportunities to stay active and build on their gross motor skills. For example, they dig in mud, uncovering worms and vegetables. Children design their own obstacle courses with tyres, wooden blocks and planks. They scoop up stones using shovels and watch them as they cascade down a drainpipe. This helps to develop children's large-muscle skills, balance and coordination.

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

• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is very good. Staff work very closely with other professionals to ensure that children who have additional needs get the support they require. They put robust individual learning plans in place and ensure that any referrals are made swiftly. This helps children with SEND to make the best possible progress.
• Children learn about the wider world. They celebrate festivals, such as Chinese New Year and Diwali. Older children visit the local care home where they discuss topics, such as the King's Coronation. Children actively seek out bugs in the garden. Staff support children to investigate spiders, insects and worms. They gently pick them up with their hands or tweezers and look at them through a magnifying glass. Children relish planting and confidently discuss what their plants need to grow. This helps children to learn about other people and communities, nature and the world around them.
• Partnership with parents is effective. Parents praise the inclusiveness of the setting. They feel involved in their children's learning and development. Parents appreciate the progress which their children make and feel well supported by the staff team. Parents comment that staff are 'friendly and very approachable'.
• Children benefit from a language-rich environment that builds on their communication skills. Staff use lots of language opportunities to extend and develop children's vocabulary. They introduce new words, such as 'excavator', 'woodlouse' and 'compost'. Staff ask age-appropriate questions and wait for children to respond. Staff use visual prompts and sign language to support children who speak English as an additional language and children with SEND. This helps children to become confident communicators.
• The manager is a good support for her team. She works alongside her deputy to oversee the staff team. The manager carries out effective supervision sessions, room meetings and staff meetings to ensure that staff are supported to carry out their role. The manager places a great emphasis on supporting staff's well-being. Many of the staff have worked at the setting for a number of years and comment on how well supported they are.
• The manager's vision for the curriculum is ambitious and understood well by the staff team. Staff have good knowledge of children's learning. They understand what children need to learn next and use information from their observations of children to guide their planning. However, staff do not always use spontaneous opportunities to extend children's learning even further.
• Staff are very caring, sensitive and nurturing. They quickly respond to children's needs. For instance, babies who are tired are quickly provided with cuddles, reassurance and soothing words. As a result, children settle quickly and form secure relationships with their key person. This helps to promote children's emotional well-being.
• Children's behaviour is good. Staff are excellent role models. The atmosphere is calm and peaceful as children are busy and motivated to learn. Children follow instructions and understand the rules. For example, when children are asked to tidy up, they do this straight away.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to better recognise and make more effective use of spontaneous opportunities to extend and challenge children's learning.