Little Buttercups Of Trawden

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children enjoy days filled with exploration, time in nature, and experiences that ignite their early passion for learning. Babies receive lots of encouragement to start to move unaided. Core muscles are strengthened during activities such as tummy time. Babies are encouraged to reach, stretch, roll and crawl towards items of interest, before learning to pull themselves up to stand. All of this helps their early physical development. Toddlers immerse themselves in mark-making activities, which helps to strengthen their small finger muscles, in readiness for writing. Pre-school children develop mathematical awareness and are introduced to concepts such as magnetism, which ignites their curiosity and desire to experiment.

Outdoor play and learning about nature are integral to children's enjoyment, be that going on local woodland walks down the nearby snicket, playing in the nursery's exciting outdoor area, or their time in the forest school. Children learn how to grow vegetables, which teaches them an important life skill. Children learn to serve their own meals and love the healthy, home-cooked meals provided. This contributes towards healthy lifestyles for children during their time at nursery.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nursery provides children with even greater support in relation to communication and language and their social and emotional development.

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

• Children's communication and language and personal, social and emotional development is a focus for the provider's curriculum. All children make good progress from their starting points. All children hear staff read and sing to them. Babies babble along while older children join in with songs or predict the next words in books. Staff provide children with a rich and varied vocabulary that translates into the everyday language children use in their conversations with each other.
• All children are exceptionally well behaved. From an early age, they learn strategies from staff to help them to regulate their emotions. Children learn from familiar books how to express their feelings verbally in a more simplistic way. Staff teach children to be considerate of others and to understand how their behaviours can make others feel. Throughout the nursery, staff consistently model good manners, which children replicate.
• Overall, staff help children develop a good range of independence and self-care skills. Babies learn to feed themselves and explore their environment. Toddlers wash their hands for themselves, put their own shoes and coats on and learn to chop vegetables. Pre-school children skilfully and cooperatively help to tidy up after play. However, there are limited instances where some staff do things for children that they can do for themselves. For example, some staff pour drinks for children, or help children put on coats without given them the time to do it for themselves. This somewhat hinders the progress older children might otherwise make.
• Every member of staff talks positively about working at the nursery. They comment on the caring support from leaders in relation to their own well-being. Staff access training and development to enhance their practice. They also receive professional advice on how best to support their key children to make the best possible progress. Workloads are manageable and there is a positive culture where everyone feels valued.
• Parents are united in their praise for the nursery. They receive lots of information on children's progress, and mention that staff provide them with extensive information to extend learning to home, as well as seeking their views on what the nursery could improve on. Parents talk about how their older children are well prepared for the move to school because of the good work the nursery does. They explain that younger children's confidence has blossomed since starting at the nursery and that new children settle quickly. Parents say, 'We love it, it's great!'
• The provider has maintained her passion and ambition to provide high-quality childcare. Their inclusive approach continues to be a strength and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff practice to better develop all children's independence skills.