Ladybird Kindergarten

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are content, settled and confident in this welcoming setting. When they arrive, children quickly settle into one of the many activities or experiences provided for them. Staff treat the children with kindness and respect and are good role models. They encourage and praise children throughout the day. The provider has high expectations for children's behaviour and has implemented positive behaviour strategies. As a result, children know what is expected of them and are well behaved. They are kind, considerate and polite to one another. For instance, they check if their friends have finished a puzzle before they take it for themselves. In addition, they support each other during art activities, explaining to one another what they need to do next to create hens made from paper plates.

The provider has a clear vision of what it wants children to learn and achieve and has high expectations for all children. There is a well-thought-out curriculum in place that is adapted according to the needs of the children attending. Key persons plan appropriate next steps in children's learning that build on what they already know and can do. This means that all children receive the support that they need so they can make progress in relation to their starting points.

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

• The provider has worked hard since the last inspection to implement the required changes and is committed to providing high-quality care and education for children. It welcomes support from its local authority advisers and seeks relevant training opportunities.
• Key persons establish positive relationships with the whole family and get to know the children well. Clear procedures are in place to find out children's starting points, and appropriate methods are in place to track children's progress through their time at the setting. This helps key persons plan appropriate next steps that build on what children already know and can do. However, the procedures in place to ensure that supply staff are aware of children's next steps are not fully effective.
• Children are effective communicators. They are confident to ask for help and support when they require it and make their thoughts and feelings known throughout the day. They sing songs with enthusiasm and join in with the actions. Learning opportunities introduce children to concepts such as rhyming. In addition, staff draw children's attention to the initial sounds in words. This supports children's communication and language development.
• Mathematical concepts are introduced to the children throughout the day. Staff use activities to introduce concepts such as 'more', 'less' and 'equal'. For example, after a game of pairs, they encourage children to make predictions and test them out using the stacks of cards they have won. Children spontaneously introduce mathematical language into their play. They use language related to time and use their fingers to represent numbers. During a beanbag game, they count how many beanbags they have. They discuss the number of beanbags they have with friends, and this encourages their friends to do the same. As a result, children are acquiring early knowledge of mathematics in preparation for later learning.
• Children show good levels of independence and confidence. When they arrive, they hang up their own coats and bags. During free play, they make independent choices about how they spend their time. They handle their own toileting needs and open their food packets at lunchtime. This helps children prepare for their next stage of learning and later life.
• The provider is focused on building strong partnerships with parents. As a result, parents are very positive about the setting. Parents report that their children have made progress in their development since starting at the setting and are happy to attend. They are kept informed of their children's progress and next steps to enable them to support their children's learning at home.
• Robust recruitment and vetting procedures are in place at the setting to ensure that all staff are suitable. Appropriate induction procedures are in place so that staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities. However, to help raise the quality of teaching to an even higher level, supply staff require more focused support and coaching.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the arrangements to share information with supply staff about children's next steps in learning
• enhance the supervision and coaching provided for supply staff to raise the quality of teaching to an even higher level.