Jack in the Box at Nascotwood

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

As children arrive at the setting, the staff team warmly greets them and supports them to get ready for their day. Children are engrossed in the captivating and challenging activities the staff skilfully plan. Children excitedly access a 'tea shop' and begin acting out parts of the familiar story they have recently read, making clear links to previous learning. Later, children create 'tigers' with dough using different textured rolling pins. Staff talk to them about the different patterns they can see, investigating which one most looks like a tiger. Staff scaffold this learning exceptionally well and challenge children to count the number of tigers they make.

There is a strong focus on children's emotional well-being. Staff use self-registration as a way of supporting children to identify how they are feeling from the moment they arrive at the setting. This enables staff to offer them an appropriate level of support and ensure they are ready to learn. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and they are wonderful role models for children. Familiar routines, clear language and cues, such as a bell to signal children to stop, followed by verbal instructions, help children to learn how to behave extremely well.

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

• Children's learning is incredibly well sequenced and builds on what they can already do. For example, staff build on children's interest in winter and snow by creating a winter curiosity cube. Staff talk with children about what they can see, using this as a discussion point to extend their knowledge. Staff discuss with children whether the objects are in front of each other or next to each other. Later in group time, staff introduce other positional language. This extends learning to the concepts of 'in between' and 'behind'.
• Staff promote children's communication and language development exceptionally well. They match their language and questions to meet the development needs of children. As a result, children are confident in their conversations with staff. Signs are used as additional support for those who are non-verbal or building on their English language. Staff enhance children's language as they talk about 'beluga whales' and 'narwhals', building on their knowledge of animals they may see in the arctic. This encourages children to confidently ask questions, inquisitively asking about the similarities and differences between them.
• Leaders and staff are passionate about their role in providing exceptional care and learning for all children. The team reflects regularly on its practice and uses assessments to look at gaps in achievements. Changes to the curriculum and environment are embedded and any impact can be seen immediately. For example, where staff have noticed a gap in children's literacy attainment, an emphasis on reading has been implemented. A well-monitored lending library encourages parents to share stories at home with their children, while book activity packs encourage those who prefer to be creative to access stories in an alternative way.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are particularly well considered by the staff team. Staff have exceptional knowledge of children's individual needs and can support them with ease. Routines are adapted easily to ensure that all children can access learning in a way that is most suitable to them. Relationships with parents of children with SEND are well established and parents talk of the lifeline the setting has been for them.
• Partnerships with parents are particularly effective. Parents comment on the extensive communication they receive and how this provides them with information to support their children at home. Staff provide guidance, in conjunction with professionals, to help parents. For example, information about online safety is shared to support parents.
• Staff ensure that children have plenty of wonderful experiences to learn about the world around them. Visitors from the local community offer children a different way of learning about different cultures and religions. Parents support children at the setting to learn new knowledge and skills, such as growing vegetables in the garden. They plant, look after and harvest them, strengthening their knowledge of where our food comes from.