Lavender Preschool At Tweeddale

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive excellent care and attention. Staff value each child as an individual and continually adapt the curriculum and practice to suit their evolving needs. As a result, children are happy, motivated to learn and progress well. Staff tune into the children, making them feel listened to and safe. Positive relationships between everyone at the nursery are evident and children thrive.

Children benefit from an inclusive and diverse setting. Children from all backgrounds are given equal opportunity, any additional funding received is used for the benefit of the children. All activities are designed to be suitable for all children, regardless of their age and stage of development. Resources are open ended and have rich play value, meaning children can explore and approach activities in a multitude of different ways. This makes the environment interesting and stimulating. Attentive staff are deployed well, they play alongside the children and allow them to explore at their own pace. They watch for cues, only stepping in to offer support when needed. This means play and learning are not disrupted.

Staff are consistent in their approach and help children to follow well-established routines. Children know what is expected of them and behave very well. Staff take their time with the children; nothing is rushed. This gives children time to absorb information and understand what is happening. Routines are well thought out and make the most of opportunities for learning and development. Children are settled and secure.

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

• Staff consistently demonstrate positive behaviours and are excellent role models for the children. They are gentle in their approach, show respect, and speak with kindness. Children naturally turn to them to help with situations they haven't got the words to express. Caring staff show high levels of empathy when dealing with emotional outbursts. They demonstrate valuable life skills such as compassion and patience. This quickly defuses any angry moment and children feel listened to and understood. Children show consideration and awareness of each other.
• Children exhibit consistently positive attitudes towards learning. They show high levels of engagement, enjoyment, and shared thinking. Children experiment rolling a hula hoop down the grassy hill in different ways to see which is fastest. They work together to problem solve and discuss which method to use. Staff notice and demonstrate a throwing motion from the bottom of the hill, children copy this and discover to their delight the hoop speeds up and bounces. The game continues and develops for a sustained period, as more children join in and help to retrieve the hoops.
• Staff actively listen and respond attentively to the children. Staff recast words and introduce new vocabulary to enhance language development. They make excellent use of visual aids and sign language to ensure all children have a voice. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. Consequently, all children benefit from consistently high-quality, meaningful interactions.
• Children benefit from a small-group activity designed for a specific purpose. Staff show excellent understanding of the intent of each element of the well-planned activity. Staff execute each component slightly differently for each child, dependent on their age and stage of development. Staff are exceptionally receptive and know how best to respond to each child to get the best out of them. Children learn about emotions and social skills, as well as many other areas of learning.
• Children enjoy story time every day in a way that suits their specific likes and need. Some children enjoy one-to-one story time outside and some play 'pairs' to introduce characters from a familiar book. Others may enjoy small-group communication time, allowing space for creative thinking and discussion. Staff show exceptional skills in adapting each learning experience to fit the needs of the child. This means they continually and consistently benefit from bespoke learning experiences and make good progress. All children are included and all children have equal opportunity.
• Leadership and management work hard to promote and maintain positive relationships. Communication and consultation are strengths within the setting. Leaders work well as a team and have a united outlook. Information is cascaded to staff and there are opportunities for training. More experienced staff assist new colleagues. Staff feel supported and listened to. The setting works exceptionally well with outside professionals and parents to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. There is a constant dialogue with all involved, which informs a child-centred approach. Staff are passionate about caring for the children and are invested in their future.