Leaping Frogs Day Nursery CIC

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and eager to explore. Staff plan an engaging and inspiring environment which enables children to become extremely independent learners. For example, they gain confidence in growing produce from seed. They make labels, use tools, operate the water butt, and solve problems, such as how to stop the birds from eating their seeds. They nurture their seedlings and show extreme pride when they notice growth, eventually getting to pick, cook and eat their crop. All children relish outdoor play, where they have excellent opportunities to challenge their physical skills and learn about nature. They gain amazing confidence, resilience and kindness as they care for the menagerie of animals.

Staff consistently implement the highly ambitious curriculum to a high standard, so children progress rapidly, while having a great deal of fun. For example, older babies persevere with operating a trigger on a spray bottle, developing physical skills and strength in their hands and muscles, ready for writing when they are older. Toddlers enthusiastically mix red and blue paints and correctly say they have made purple. Staff make deliberate mistakes when giving children items to set the table for snack, so older children say they need one more cup or have eight plates instead of seven. They recognise numerals and remember the letters the numbers start with from their previous phonics activity.

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

• The owner/managers ensure a highly successful key-person system. Staff seek excellent information from parents to get to know babies' routines and what children can already do. This ensures that children feel extremely secure and settle quickly. Staff then use their meaningful observations and meticulous monitoring to plan successfully, using children's interests to keep them extremely motivated.
• Staff empower children to vote on topics and, once chosen, parents make suggestions or come in to share their knowledge and skills, extending children's experiences even further. For example, children became fascinated about a family's visit to South Africa, which started an extensive focus on the wider world and people's differences.
• Staff consistently provide high-quality teaching for children to develop their language and communication skills. For example, babies happily babble as their key person uses puppets, toddlers impressively join in with songs, and older children learn the meaning of words, such as 'estimating'. Staff role model asking open-ended questions and encourage children from an early age to listen to each other and recall previous discussions. For example, older children remember how another had been searching for an Elephant Tiger Moth.
• Staff skilfully help children to think for themselves, such as assessing risks and following their own ideas. For example, children become animated in their highly imaginative game. Staff step in when there is a difference of opinion, and they all have a vote on what happens next. As a result, children play together harmoniously.
• Staff role model to babies how to engage with others, and older children develop an impressive sense of justice and empathy, such as pointing out if a child has not had a turn at something. Children take responsibility, celebrate each other's achievements and have pride in their own.
• Children have an impressive understanding of the importance of hygiene, such as washing their wellingtons and hands after being with the animals. Children become highly independent because staff teach toddlers how to wash their hands thoroughly, giving them plenty of time to manage for themselves, so when they get older they need little supervision.
• The consistent, enthusiastic staff confirm the excellent support they receive from the managers, including gaining qualifications. They now have three staff who hold early years teacher status. The managers provide training, such as emotion coaching, and plan and lead activities, such as dramatising a book with children, providing outstanding role models. Parents confirm the excellent communication and partnerships with them. They comment how staff 'turn education into an adventure'.