Larkfield Daycare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe at this caring nursery. They arrive ready to learn and explore. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children leave their families at the door. Most children respond well to this change and enter happily. Those who are unsettled receive reassurance from staff and settle quickly.

Children develop close bonds with staff who know them well. Staff have high expectations for all children. In the main, they plan meaningful activities that build on children's interests and what they know and can do. Children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. Babies explore activities, using all their senses. They investigate objects with their hands, feet and mouth and giggle when the objects produce different sounds. Toddlers enjoy the challenge of finding triangles in the room, and older children make predictions as they mix colours together.

Children are highly valued and listened to. They are encouraged to celebrate what they are good at. Younger children show great kindness as they play with the dolls. They cuddle and rock them as they put them to bed gently. They listen attentively to staff and their friends and demonstrate kind behaviours and good manners.

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

• Parents feel well informed about what their children are learning. Parents talk positively about the progress their children have made since starting at this 'hidden gem of a nursery'. They particularly value the range of outings that the nursery provides for the children. This helps to enhance children's knowledge of their community.
• Staff collate detailed information from parents about their child before they start at the nursery. This provides staff with an accurate view of children's abilities on starting and helps them to identify what children need to learn next. However, staff are not always clear about what they intend for children to learn through the activities they provide. This means that not all activities consistently build on what children know and can do.
• Staff carefully assess children's abilities. When children require extra help, the special educational needs coordinator works closely with outside agencies to secure support as needed to implement agreed plans. All children make good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The dedicated manager is clear about the vision for her nursery. She strives to offer a home-from-home, caring environment where children are valued and nurtured. Staff receive regular support through supervision sessions and training. However, this support does not take account of the performance of the staff and their individual development needs. This means that staff are not being supported to raise the quality of their teaching to the highest level.
• Children are keen to show off their knowledge and skills. For example, younger children talk enthusiastically about the different animal habitats they have learned about. Older children confidently speak about how accurately they can throw beanbags. Children listen attentively as staff read stories, and older children repeat phrases from familiar stories. Children develop high levels of confidence in their own abilities.
• Children's physical and emotional well-being are thoroughly supported. They take part in football and dance sessions and go for numerous walks in the community. Children proudly exclaim that they can run 'super fast' now. Children develop their small-muscle skills as they mix and squeeze dough and use threading equipment with confidence. Older children show great hand strength as they use scissors with accuracy. These opportunities support children to develop their later writing skills.
• Children are encouraged to be healthy by drinking water and eating nutritious food. They confidently scoop out pasta and shout 'yummy' with great delight and tell their friends that this is their favourite meal. Children are supported to be healthy and active.
• Staff are confident to support children with their mathematical knowledge. As younger children stack blocks, staff model counting. Toddlers proudly show off the space rocket that they have made, using various shapes. Older children predict that they are lighter than their friends. These opportunities support children to develop a positive attitude and interest in mathematics.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to consider more precisely what they intend for children to learn through the activities they provide
• strengthen the professional development provided to staff to ensure that this is focused on enhancing individual teaching skills to the highest level.