Little Cherubs

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff encourage children to be independent from the moment they arrive. Children are supported to leave their parents confidently. Older children find their name on their coat peg so they are able to hang up their own coat. Toddlers independently take their coat off and quickly become highly engaged in their play and learning.

Staff plan the curriculum around the core skills and knowledge that children need to be prepared for the next stage of their learning. They prepare activities that focus on each child's individual next steps and follow children's interests. All staff know the children well and are consistent in their approach to each child's individual needs. This helps children to learn and retain knowledge and make progress. Children are well supported in preparing for their transition to school. The manager and staff are clear about what skills they hope children will have mastered to make their transition as smooth as possible. For example, they want children to be as independent as possible and to have a positive attitude to learning.

Staff have formed strong bonds with individual children to ensure the children feel secure and their emotional needs are met. Babies settle quickly, as nurturing staff provide a cosy and homely environment. Staff are attentive, offering cuddles and reassurance, and ensure babies' individual routines are followed. Older children make friends and enjoy one another's company, chatting as they play together.

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

• Staff provide children with a well-organised curriculum and provide good-quality teaching and learning experiences. They use children's interests to plan for what they need to learn next. Their interactions with children are kind and they model language well, introducing young children to new vocabulary. Babies join in with action rhymes, and toddlers talk about their feelings. However, on occasions, some staff do not provide sufficient challenge for the older, most-able children.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. The owner, manager and staff are proactive in identifying where children have additional needs and putting plans in place to meet these. They engage with outside agencies when needed, help parents to apply for support and are persistent in ensuring that support is put in place.
• Staff support children to develop their physical skills. For example, children use tweezers to pull different-coloured strands of spaghetti, developing their small muscles. Children have daily opportunities to go outside, where they enjoy running and climbing. Young children are supported to stand and start walking. Older children learn to take care of the rabbits and talk about their needs, such as suitable food and clean straw.
• Staff incorporate mark making and storytelling into the daily activities and routines of the nursery. For example, children make lists of food in the role play kitchen, and younger children talk about how they are feeling as they read stories about emotions. Toddlers talk about the ingredients in their lunch, for example, naming the coriander and talking about the shapes of the pasta. Staff wait while babies try using naming vocabulary, which supports babies' next steps in learning.
• Staff promote children's good health. The food provided is nutritious and thoroughly enjoyed by children. Staff teach children good hygiene procedures, such as washing their hands before mealtimes. Children are encouraged to be independent and clear away their own plates after eating. However, the organisation of daily routines leads to toddlers being inactive for extended periods, particularly at snack times and lunchtime.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery and value the information they receive about what their children are learning. They say they receive a lot of support from staff to continue their child's learning at home. Staff regularly share information at handover times about what children have done that day. Children can borrow home learning bags to further support their learning at home. Parents feel that their children are making good progress, and they value the friendly and professional staff.
• The owner and manager support staff to improve their skills and knowledge through targeted professional development. For example, staff have recently received training to support children's communication and language. They reflect on the positive impact this has had on building children's language skills, particularly for children who speak English as an additional language.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff interactions to support the most able children to be challenged more
• review daily routines to ensure children stay involved in their learning, to support their overall development.