Little Acorns New Earswick Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children form strong bonds with the staff at this setting. They arrive ready for their day and show excitement when greeted by their familiar key person. Staff are involved in the settling process for children. This means that they are familiar with children's routines, needs and comforts. Staff use this information to ensure that children remain happy and settled throughout the day. Staff model kindness and consistently praise positive behaviour. Children respond to this by showing kindness to their peers. Children lay down for a rest and others pat their back to settle them. Pre-school children offer to take turns during games to ensure that they are fair.

Staff have high ambitions for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The special educational needs coordinator attends meetings with leaders and other agencies to support children's learning and development. This ensures that the children continue to make good levels of progress from when they first start.

Children access the outdoor area every day. They learn to explore different resources, such as how to kick a large ball and climb on and off ride-on toys. Children who are aged two to three years balance on scooters to move around the space. Children are beginning to risk assess how to be safe on larger resources.

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

• Children are supported to develop self-care skills. For example, children in the two- to three-year-old room are encouraged to put their coats on by themselves, with staff on hand to support if needed. Pre-school children serve their own meals using appropriately sized serving spoons. This promotes their physical development. However, the provision in the room for children aged under two years does not encourage the youngest children at the setting to develop their independence during mealtimes. For example, the chairs and tables are not suitably sized for all children to sit safely without being strapped in.
• Overall, the setting prepares children for the next stage in their education well. Staff understand the skills that children need to start school, such as being able to dress and undress themselves, take turns and listen to simple instructions. However, the manager does not consistently review curriculum goals with staff and, at times, these are not matched to some children's individual learning needs. For example, staff are aware of children's next steps but do not always tailor activities to build on their current skills.
• Babies enjoy sensory activities, such as filling and emptying buckets in the sand tray and exploring different sizes and colours of pom-poms. Occasionally, opportunities in the room for children under two years do not always reflect the children's current skills and build on them. For example, crawling babies do not consistently have the opportunity to learn to pull themselves up and begin moving around using furniture.
• Both leaders and staff work well with other agencies that are involved in the children's development. They attend meetings with multiple agencies to set short-term goals to support children's progress. This ensures that there is continuity of learning for the children. Parents commend the setting for their support. They comment that the staff are proactive in their roles and their children are well cared for.
• Staff place a large focus on children's communication and language skills. They promote a love of stories. Children bring stories in from home to share with their peers. Staff use their interests and extend learning based on books. For example, children search for ships and create hats and telescopes after listening to a story about pirates. Staff request additional training to ensure that they can support all children's communication, which leaders organise.
• Leaders place a large focus on staff well-being. Staff are given opportunities to voice their opinions on changes made to the setting. Staff say that they feel supported. Their workload is managed well by leaders. Managers engage with the local community to develop children's understanding of the world around them. Leaders also create links with local charities. They complete fundraising activities to support them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• reflect on and enhance the facilities for mealtimes in the baby room to meet their needs and support their independence
• review curriculum goals regularly to ensure that teaching across the setting reflects them
• enhance staff's understanding of what babies need to learn next and ensure that they prepare the environment to support this.