JJ's Early Explorers Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children approach their day with excitement and enthusiasm at the setting. They are able to learn and develop with an air of confidence in a safe and stimulating environment. Children spend lots of time outdoors, exploring the allotment to gather home-grown herbs. They use these to enhance their play in the mud kitchen. Children have many opportunities to solve problems for themselves. For example, when the water butt is empty, they solve the problem by accessing water from the pump across the garden. They carefully fill pots and pans to transport the water back across the garden. This enables them to continue their potion making in the mud kitchen.

Children have access to a rich curriculum designed to stretch and challenge a range of abilities. Knowledgeable staff and carefully selected resources support their learning and development. Children are able to widen their experiences within a language-rich environment. Two-year-old children squeal with delight as a member of staff reads the story of 'Brown Bear' using Makaton. The children join in these actions naturally. This setting is highly inclusive. Staff plan meaningful activities that take account of children's age and ability. All children are making progress thanks to staff knowing the needs of each and every child.

Parents speak very highly about the nurturing ethos of this setting. They really value the support staff give them. This helps parents to extend the learning and development of their children at home.

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

• Strong leaders with clear vision ensure that outstanding practice flows through all levels of the staff team. Inspirational leadership motivates the team to deliver the very best for all children at this setting. Particular curriculum strengths are communication and language, and personal, social and emotional development.
• Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is excellent. Additional funding has been used to build a separate communication hub. This is used for group work and one-to-one intervention sessions.
• 'Chatterbugs' sessions with the speech and language therapist are also held in the hub. Having a separate space also allows parents to be present and part of their child's learning.
• Staff have extremely high expectations of all children who attend this setting. It is highly inclusive and meets the needs of all the children in an exceptional way. The local authority praises the work staff do in relation to children with complex needs. They commend the quality of the SEND support plans and 'smart' outcomes that are set by staff.
• Leaders work with determination and willingness to ensure that no child is left behind. They adapt the curriculum and the environment accordingly and this is evident in practice. For example, staff use distinctive approaches, such as 'bucket therapy', to engage and support children with autism.
• All children, including the most able, benefit from a challenging curriculum. For example, staff recently obtained numicon resources from the local primary school to help children who excel in mathematics.
• Children display excellent behaviour and attitudes to their learning. They are kind and considerate, and extremely supportive to their friends who have additional needs.
• Leaders consider staff welfare to be paramount. They are keen to support staff with their own career progression. Training needs are identified during appraisals and leaders are happy to support particular interests expressed by staff. For example, they have recently completed forest school and Makaton training. Staff confirm they are happy and feel valued.