Little Elms Daycare Shirley

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive eager to start their day. All children have the option to choose where they wish to play. Toddlers are skilled in using the stairs safely and confidently, enhancing their physical development well. They thoroughly enjoy learning how to make bubbles during water play. Staff teach toddlers about sea animals and use the correct terms, such as tentacles, when asking to count how many an octopus has. This further develops children's language development and emerging mathematical skills. Babies develop their small-muscle skills as they explore sand. They learn to empty and fill containers, developing their emerging language as they babble with staff about their actions.

Pre-school children play extremely well together. They are taught the importance of turn taking. Children enjoy playing group games and help to explain the rules to others. All children recall what they have been taught by staff, and they share and turn take well. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported exceptionally well. Staff meet with parents and other professionals to support children's learning and development. They work together to set targets for children to work towards. Based on children's starting points, they are making good progress with their learning and development.

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

• Leadership is strong at the nursery. New leaders are supported well by the head office and have regular meetings to review their work and practice. Leaders highlight areas to improve and how to support staff practice in the nursery.
• Staff in the younger rooms are not consistent with how they teach children how to use equipment. At times, staff will remove children from equipment rather than teaching them how they can use it, such as teaching them how to use the the climbing frames and how to use the slides.
• Staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour management. All staff teach children the difference between right and wrong and the importance of listening to others. Children behave well.
• Staff do not evaluate some free-choice activities effectively. Children have limited interaction with these activities, as staff do not react to swap them around for activities the children are interested in.
• Staff have a clear bonds with children. They receive regular cuddles of reassurance and support. Staff talk kindly to children, supporting them to settle in. This helps to build on children's self-esteem and confidence.
• Children of all ages are confident learners. When playing outside, children confidently ask to move between play areas to explore the nature area and climbing frames. This helps to further support children's language development.
• Staff work closely with parents. They gather key words in children's home languages and make sure they know how to pronounce them correctly. Staff also make good use of picture boards, helping children to learn routines and further aiding the learning of words in English.
• Leaders make good use of funding to help support children's learning. Staff have recently purchased a nursery pet, which has helped children with their behaviour. Staff use the pet to help to teach children techniques to manage their behaviour and how to take care of others.
• The curriculum is effective in supporting children's learning and development. Staff provide a good mix of next steps and themes to support children's development. Children make good progress with their learning and development.
• All children are fully aware of routines. Children recall well the importance of handwashing before any meals and snacks. Staff also work closely with parents to support children when they show an interest in potty training. This further supports children's health and well-being.
• Leaders support staff's well-being effectively. Leaders review staff's workload and review when they may need extra support and/or training. Recent training has helped staff with risk assessments and reviewing the learning environment to make sure it is safe for the children to play in.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• teach staff how to support younger children when using equipment such as climbing frames
• support staff in evaluating how children use activities and when to change activities based on children's interests.