Jellybabies Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in a safe and secure learning environment, where they become deeply engaged and enthusiastic in their play. Activities and experiences are planned based on their interests. For example, toddlers explore their interest in animals using a small-world farm, reinforcing their previous learning about animal names and sounds.

Children develop close bonds with their key person, which supports them to become confident and self-assured individuals. For example, babies turn to their key person for reassurance when trying new skills. Children talk freely about the things they have learned. Children's comments are on display alongside their photos and examples of their art work, which promotes their sense of belonging.

Children follow routines and demonstrate their increasing independence, especially at snack time, when they select their own snack and wash up their own dishes when they have finished eating. Staff have high expectations for children, and their behaviour is positive.

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

• Leaders have a vision for the setting which is shared by all staff, focusing on providing different experiences and opportunities to raise children's awareness of the world around them, for example celebrating festivals such as Eid. This provides quality, inclusive care and education for all children who attend.
• Leaders and staff have worked together to construct a curriculum that reflects the individuality of the children, by focusing on their starting points and identifying next steps in their learning. However, sometimes, staff are not aware of the curriculum learning intention for planned activities and, therefore, they are unclear about what skills and knowledge they want children to gain.
• Staff generally plan suitable activities that are exciting and interesting, and support children's interests, such as making cakes together for a tea party or exploring their interest in holidays by enhancing the role play area. However, during some activities, particularly in the pre-school room, staff do not extend children's learning. This means that, sometimes, children do not receive appropriate challenge.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language well. For example, picture cards and visual prompts are used to support children's understanding. As a result, children make good progress given their starting points.
• Transition between rooms and to school is effective and well organised. Children spend lots of time meeting their new key person and exploring their new room, therefore preparing them for the next stage in their education.
• Leaders place a strong emphasis on developing children's speech and language. Staff narrate play, model language and ask children questions as they play. For example, when making crowns, staff ask children if they have seen a crown before and who may wear one. This helps the children to link their learning to the wider world.
• Leaders use observations and supervision to improve and extend staff knowledge and skills. Regular staff meetings and training opportunities provide continuous improvement of teaching and staff professional development. Staff have recently attended training to enable the setting to become a Communication Champion setting, which has improved their commitment to developing children's communication skills.
• Partnership with parents is very good. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff promoted home learning well. They shared activity ideas, learning links and regular updates. This helped to prevent children from falling too far behind.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's knowledge of the curriculum intent, so that staff are clear what skills and knowledge the children are gaining from all experiences
• enhance staff knowledge of the curriculum, particularly in the pre-school room, so that children are appropriately challenged.