Little Admirals Stamshaw

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited to play, learn and enjoy their day at pre-school. As they arrive, they are greeted warmly by staff who know them and their families exceptionally well. Older children quickly become absorbed in conversations about what they have been doing at home. Younger children show close, affectionate relationships with comforting and caring staff. They have cuddles and smiles together, which demonstrates that they feel safe and secure at the nursery.

Managers ensure that children benefit from a well-organised curriculum that follows their interests and motivates them to learn. Together, staff and managers use their knowledge to create activities that support children at different levels of ability. For example, they create minibeast hunting activities inside, to allow children to explore with magnifying glasses, soil and toy bugs. Older children are offered challenge as they identify each one and tick them off on their checklist. They pay close attention to the first letter of each minibeast name. Alongside this, younger children are supported in developing their language skills as they are offered new vocabulary during the activity. For example, they learn words such as 'woodlouse' and 'antennae'. Children become absorbed in their play and continue to be supported by enthusiastic staff. They are confidently developing positive attitudes to learning.

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

• The manager has high expectations for all children. She has a clear understanding of what she wants children to know and learn. The manager supports her staff in planning suitably challenging activities that can be adapted for children at their own personal level of learning. She ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are swifty identified and supported fully. She works closely with other professionals, such as health visitors and speech and language therapists to extend this support further. Through this, children achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Staff engage in meaningful interactions with children throughout their learning and play. They spend time together in the role-play area, making plates of food and serving them to one another. Staff constructively use these opportunities to extend children's conversational skills and build on their ability to explain their personal experiences.
• Staff have a good understanding of how to support children to develop their literacy skills. They read books to children with imagination and enthusiasm throughout the day. Staff take considerable time to discuss the stories and pictures that children are looking at independently. Children are beginning to develop a love of reading.
• Parents report that they feel included and are kept informed of their child's progress. They know what their children are working towards and value the opportunity to attend parents evening with their key worker. Parent partnerships are strong.
• Children are beginning to build a good understanding of how to play with their friends. They often play kindly and share fairly. However, at times, instructions and rules are not consistently given with a meaningful explanation. As a result, children do not always understand behavioural expectations.
• Children are supported in beginning to understand some early mathematical skills. However, occasionally, intentional learning opportunities do not always support children in learning mathematical concepts appropriate for their age. Therefore, children are not always fully challenged in this area of learning.
• Throughout the day, children are given plenty of opportunities to develop their physical skills as they explore their movements on the climbing frame. They run, jump and balance as they skilfully move around the outside play spaces. Children are supported in managing risks for themselves, with staff readily on hand to help if necessary.
• Leaders and managers fully support staff in accessing training. They carry out frequent supervisions when staff discuss aspects of their knowledge that they would like to consolidate or expand on further. Staff also share that their well-being is well supported by the management team. A work life balance is strongly promoted, helping staff feel valued and respected in their roles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on how learning opportunities can be strengthened to further support children's learning of mathematical concepts
• enhance the way in which rules are conveyed and explained, to ensure children fully understand the behavioural expectations.