Ladybird Stonemill

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children dive happily into the outstretched arms of the welcoming staff at this nurturing setting. They peep around the door with excitement and anticipation, joyfully waving to their friends. Children develop strong bonds with staff and close friendships with their peers. Children's behaviour is supported well as staff consistently model positive behaviour. Staff encourage children to play safely, they join play and quickly intervene where needed to ensure children's safety. Children listen and respond well. This unique setting is set firmly in the heart of the community. Inside and outside areas are carefully planned to offer a stimulating and safe learning environment with a homely and calm feel. Children develop many skills, such as large-muscle skills, climbing, sliding and jumping. They have a tremendous time as they excitedly chase bubbles, catching them and giggling as they pop. Children chalk on boards, developing their hand muscles in readiness for learning to write.

The small groups and secure attachments with staff help children to be confident. The curriculum reflects children's interests and activities are planned with a clear focus on individual children's learning needs. Many of the children are developing their speech and communication. Staff skilfully use sign language alongside words to help children's developing understanding. Children who are developing their spoken language, including those with English as an additional language (EAL), recognise symbols and use signs to communicate. Their beaming smiles show how happy and proud they are when they successfully communicate. Children, including those with special educational needs and /or disabilities (SEND), and those with EAL make good progress, particularly in developing their language skills.

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

• Leaders and managers have a clear vision of what the setting will provide for children and families. They know the area and the families extremely well. Partnership work with other professionals is extremely well embedded. Staff quickly and skilfully identify when additional support is required. This early identification and swift implementation of support help children, including those with SEND, to make good progress from their starting points.
• Leaders have high aspirations for all staff. Staff training goes beyond that which is mandatory. It is carefully targeted and specific. For example, staff implement their training on assessment effectively to accurately identify children's next steps. The team are very knowledgeable and learn from each other in order to enhance their skills.
• Staff implement a curriculum that builds upon what children already know and can do. They observe and accurately assess children's progress. This enables staff to plan and provide experiences that reflect the individual next steps of children. Furthermore, staff skilfully use children's emerging interests to successfully motivate them in their learning.
• All children attending the setting are in receipt of funded places. Staff take a holistic approach to supporting the whole family. They signpost families to a variety of support services, including food banks, behaviour management support, job centres, counselling and housing trusts. Families explain how this support helps them to look after and parent their children well. The well-being of children and their families is given high regard.
• Overall, staff recognise opportunities to extend children's learning during activities. For example, they help children explore textures using dough, flour, finger paints and sand. Staff use stories and songs to engage children in activities and language that focus on number and shape. However, occasionally, some staff offer their help to children too quickly and do not consistently encourage children to work things out for themselves, in order to challenge them further in their learning.
• Staff work hard to promote children's personal skills, developing friendships and promoting independence. For example, after lunch or after messy activity, children independently use the sink to wash their hands. Children are becoming increasingly independent in readiness for school.
• Staff develop children's language by offering new words during play. For example, they describe the dough as 'soft' and 'squashy'. They comment on the children making it 'flat'. Children hear new and descriptive words.
• Partnerships with parents are extremely strong. Parents discuss the support they receive and the difference this makes to them and their family. Staff share children's next steps and support parents to extend their child's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently challenge children so that they remain engaged and develop their thinking and problem-solving skills further.