Little Explorers Kindergarten Riverside

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a warm greeting to all children and their families at this friendly and welcoming pre-school. Children arrive happily, giggling with excitement as they quickly settle to explore the many activities and resources. Relationships between staff and children are warm and supportive. Staff immerse themselves in child-led play and have fun with the children, often making them laugh and smile. For example, children shout with joy as staff encourage them to imagine they are going on a rocket into space.

Staff are consistent and fair with their expectations for boundaries and rules. They are quick to notice any incidents of behaviour and talk to children calmly to help them understand the situation. Staff model positive behaviours and how to treat each other with respect. Children enjoy the independence that staff give them. For example, they are learning to self-register with their photos, pour their own drinks and dress themselves for the garden. Staff use lots of positive praise and words of encouragement.

Staff are attentive to the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They know each child well as an individual. Staff use this knowledge to provide resources to ensure every child is included and can access the learning on offer. Staff are patient and caring and offer children ample time to explore the environment at their own pace. As a result, all children thrive and make good progress from their starting points.

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

• There have been recent changes to the leadership and management arrangements. A range of new working initiatives have been successfully implemented and are beginning to impact positively on the quality of the provision. The reflective leadership team continues to strive to provide children with the best environment and learning experience it can. The team members work well together and are passionate about providing high-quality care and education for all children.
• Overall, staff have been well informed of theses changes and are implementing them well in practice. However, while the leadership team has a clear aim for the use of space to promote children's well-being, this is not fully understood by all staff. Leaders intend that staff make use of all areas of the nursery to provide spaces for children who need a quiet environment. At times, staff do not recognise when some children become overwhelmed by the large, busy surroundings.
• The curriculum for communication and language is strong. Staff focus on providing children with an environment filled with language. They ensure tailored plans are in place for any children who are at risk of falling behind. Staff teach children familiar songs and spontaneously sing during child-led play. They model and introduce new language, which helps to build on children's vocabulary. Staff teach simple sign language and use picture cards to further support younger children to be able to express their needs.
• Staff regularly discuss and share information with each other about the children and what they are learning. This means they have a good knowledge of each child and provide interactions that support them to make progress. Activities are well planned with clear intentions for learning. Staff deliver the intent effectively, adapting the teaching to suit the needs of the children taking part. For example, younger children practise their fine motor skills and counting by scooping up balls. Older children are encouraged to recognise written numbers and scoop the correct amount.
• Staff show genuine care and affection for the children. They enjoy being with them and are enthusiastic and playful in their interactions. Children are keen to come to staff and excited to engage them in their games. Staff are good at welcoming children into play and keeping them busily engaged throughout the day. However, large-group activities are not always managed effectively. At times, some children struggle to remain engaged because of distractions from other children who have chosen not to take part. This results in some children, particularly the youngest and newest, not benefitting as fully as possible from the intended learning.
• The close staff team members work effectively with each other and they regularly reflect and share ideas for good practice. Staff and leaders work well with parents and external agencies to ensure the best outcomes for children. Families of children with SEND feel extremely well supported by the provider. Parents say they value the support they receive from staff and the shared ideas to support their children's development further at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• Monitor staff practices more effectively to more consistently implement the intended changes, specifically the use of spaces within the learning environment
• support staff to organise and manage large-group activities more effectively.