Little Explorers

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly and show positive relationships with staff. For example, children in the lower toddler room smile when they play peekaboo with a staff member as they look at them from behind a tent. Children in the pre-school room sit on the staff's knee for comfort during planned activities. Children are supported by staff to keep themselves safe. For example, when children attempt to climb on furniture in the lower toddler room, staff remind them to put their feet on the floor. When children follow the staff's instructions, they receive praise for listening.

Children are supported to develop their physical skills. For example, children in the lower toddler room are supported by staff to develop the strength in their legs to stand. Children in the upper toddler room are asked by staff to use their large arm movements to transfer water from one container to another. Children in the pre-school room use the muscles in their hands when they copy staff and use a screwdriver to release a screw from wood. Staff encourage children to learn new skills. For example, as they show them how to make the gap at the end of an adjustable spanner wider. When children persevere and complete this task on their own, they receive praise from staff for their efforts, telling them they have learned something new.

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

• The manager and staff implement a curriculum that helps children to progress in their development. For instance, they support children to develop their communication skills. Staff in the lower toddler room use repetitive words when they speak to children, such as 'pat, pat, pat' when they flatten play dough. In the upper toddler room, staff ask children to blow bubbles off the top of containers that are filled with soapy water. This contributes to children developing the muscles in their mouths to form sounds.
• The manager reflects on staff practice and gathers feedback from parents to help identify ongoing improvements to extend outcomes for children. Recent changes include providing a sensory area for children to go with staff to relax, be calm, and manage their behaviour. This room is for all children to access, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Staff weave mathematics into children's play and help extend their knowledge of sizes and shapes. For example, when children play with a wooden train track on the floor, staff talk to children about a train being long. When children walk around a water tray, staff talk to children about them moving around in a circle.
• When children who speak English as an additional language start attending, staff gather key words from their home language to help support children's understanding and language development. However, staff do not gain information from parents about children's learning abilities, to help them understand children's prior knowledge and skills and to plan more precisely for their learning from the outset.
• The manager liaises with parents to help identify how to spend additional funding effectively for some children. This includes providing one-to-one support to help children's emotional well-being during routine transitions and sessions to help develop children's confidence to play and interact with their peers.
• Parents comment positively about the staff. They say staff are kind, caring and nurturing to the children, and friendly and helpful to parents. Staff share information with parents about their children's daily routines and learning. This information helps to keep parents informed about their children's progress.
• Children in the pre-school room are reminded by staff to use good manners, such as before they receive their snack. Children sing a song with staff about saying please and thank you. However, during some group times, when staff ask children questions, they do not encourage them to take turns to answer. This results in many children talking at the same time and not listening to the views of their peers.
• Staff help the children develop skills for the future, such as being independent. For example, in the pre-school room, children are given safety knives and learn how to use these safely to prepare snacks for their peers. Staff show them how to use a vegetable peeler safely to prepare carrots and potatoes.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the information gathered from parents when children first start, to help staff understand children's prior learning on entry
• help staff to consistently support pre-school children to take turns in conversations and to listen to the views of others during group times.