Little Explorers Cleveleys

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this exceptional learning environment. They actively and enthusiastically engage with a wide range of high-quality resources and relish taking part in imaginative learning experiences. Staff plan opportunities that are sequenced and support children as they flourish and develop. Babies enjoy using spoons to scoop and pour berry scented tea into teacups. Children in the toddler room use paintbrushes made out of natural materials, such as pine tree, to paint onto mirrored reflective surfaces. Older children enjoy using a paper and easel to paint and write their name. Learning opportunities allow children to recap and revisit their learning so they acquire new skills in preparation for future learning.

The curriculum is extremely considered and ambitious. It has a clear intent and is implemented superbly by a knowledgeable and experienced staff team. Staff use resources in a precise manner to interest children and engage them in learning. Staff are excellent at identifying 'teachable moments'. For example, children make a bird feeder, and staff ask children to consider the concepts of size, shape, pattern, number and symmetry. Staff do not intervene unnecessarily as children play. As a consequence, children are resilient, independent and exploratory learners, eager to learn about the world around them.

All staff have the highest expectations for children and discuss that everything they do is in the pursuit of excellence. Children enjoy a wide variety of meals, which are skilfully prepared and considered to nurture children's well-being. Staff are superb role models for children, they encourage, listen, support and model how to use resources. The environment is extremely calm. Children are respectful towards adults and one another. They demonstrate excellent listening and attention skills and independently help one another. Children's behaviour is superb.

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

• Staff plan a curriculum that has a strong focus on the process and not the end product. The curriculum is challenging for all children and helps them to succeed and achieve. Staff work extremely closely across all rooms to ensure that they adapt the curriculum to meet children's needs and offer children consistent high-quality learning experiences. The whole team are dedicated to supporting the unique needs of every child. All children are superbly supported for their transition to school.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are consistently supported. Processes of regular observation and assessment allow staff to identify gaps in learning extremely quickly. Staff are proactive in making links with other professionals and interventions are timely and focused. Parents share that their children have thrived in the care of staff and that 'the magic begins at the door'. All children make excellent progress.
• Communication and language is a key strength of the nursery. Staff introduce new vocabulary, repeat words, use words in context and pose questions to older children. As a result, children confidently make their needs known, make predictions and initiate their own play. Children as young as two years old use scissors to cut fresh herbs and push them into dough. They talk about the different scents as 'food' and 'grass'. Children make their own connections and develop their understanding.
• Mathematics is skilfully woven throughout activities. Babies enjoy singing number rhymes and children in the toddler room explore size as they identify who is the tallest and who is holding the longest stick. This learning develops in the pre-school room as children take part in a baking activity. They explore the concept of balance, predict how heavy eggs are when compared to other ingredients and solve problems. These experiences support children to develop their critical thinking skills and acquire excellent early mathematical awareness.
• Staff nurture children's emotional well-being at all times. Younger children independently go to staff for reassurance or a cuddle. Older children seek out their key person to greet them in the morning. Children explore their feelings and emotions and are learning that their voice matters. Children feel valued and secure. All children make their needs known and are confident communicators.
• Staff are passionate about creating 'awe and wonder' for children every day. Children carefully plant and water pine cones on a Friday afternoon, and as they enter on Monday morning, a full size Christmas tree has blossomed. These experiences support children's imaginations and creative thinking. Children enjoy visits to the local care home, where they make friends with elderly residents and enjoy afternoon tea. Children enjoy regular visits to a local forest where they learn to take risks and explore the environment. Children learn about other faiths and cultures. They enjoy Bollywood dance sessions and listen to music from around the world. Children are beginning to explore concepts such as similarities and differences, inclusion and their unique place in the world.
• Leadership is visionary. Leaders undertake continual evaluation to pinpoint with extreme accuracy how they can constantly make adaptations to meet the needs of children. Delegation of staff is purposeful and strategic. Staff have recently completed a 'boys project' as they identified that some boys were not as interested in literacy as other areas of learning. They have implemented 'story scribing' where boys tell their own stories, and as a result, children's literacy skills have increased. Staff are supported through mentoring, meetings and supervision. All staff share the same vision, which is centred on children learning through exploration.