Little Explorers Kindergarten The Hive

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe, confident and incredibly happy at this inspiring kindergarten setting. They receive the utmost care and attention from the passionate staff. Children form extremely warm and loving relationships with their key members of staff. This supports children to feel safe and emotionally secure, and enable them to engage well and benefit from all of the many experiences on offer.

Children gain an excellent awareness of their local community and are fully involved in community life, which helps them to develop a strong sense of belonging. For example, they help to plant and maintain the flowers in the community flower beds.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff have the highest expectations of what all children can achieve. They use their knowledge of the children to keep them focused on their learning, both inside and outside the building. Staff never miss an opportunity to model good manners.

Children show resilience and are very adventurous in their physical play. Staff are always close by to support children, if necessary. They provide guidance to help children to consider the safety of themselves and others, such as when using the steps in and out of the gardens. Children are extremely confident in their own abilities. They take and manage calculated risks. They carefully consider the space available and the whereabouts of their friends as they explore different ways and speeds to move their whole bodies.

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

• The manager and deputy manager are highly ambitious for the achievements of all children. They have carefully considered the content and structure of the educational programme. Staff demonstrate a passion and determination to achieve excellent outcomes for all children. Their holistic approach to teaching is highly engaging and gives children rich and meaningful learning opportunities.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds receive outstanding support and flourish in their development. The manager and staff go above and beyond to ensure that children get every possible resource available to them. For instance, staff ensure that other professionals support children on site. This means that all children get the support they need to reach their full potential.
• Staff provide an abundance of opportunities for children to master skills and be confident learners. For example, older children confidently negotiate their ideas as they precisely create large structures. Staff commentate to introduce key words and expand children's vocabulary. They ask thought-provoking questions as children create with a range of vegetables that originate from different parts of the world, such as cassava from Africa. As a result, children are inquisitive learners, who have high levels of focus and concentration during activities.
• High priority is given to the development of children's small-muscle movements, as part of a sequenced curriculum towards excellent early writing skills. Children enjoy manipulating play dough, which they push into different herbs to make its smell. They later move on to using pasta shapes pushed into potatoes and other vegetables to create their much loved story characters from their favourite books. Children include intricate details during their creations, demonstrating precision and strength in using their hands and finger tips.
• Staff are highly skilled in developing children's communication and language. Children's excellent vocabulary grows rapidly. Staff teach children new words, then create reasons to use them during planned and spontaneous activities. For example, children apply the newly introduced words 'amazingly smooth' when exploring and describing ice cubes.
• Partnership working with parents is exceptional. Parents say that staff go 'above and beyond' and their children thrive and make excellent progress. They are well informed about their children's progress and appreciate the opportunities to attend the setting themselves. Staff provide parents with home learning suggestions, such as learning resources and story bags, including audio stories, to further enhance children's love of reading at home.
• Staff feel extremely well supported and genuinely cared for by the manager. She understands and accommodates their professional and personal needs to ensure that they are supported to manage a healthy work/life balance. In addition, staff are celebrated and rewarded. The manager recognises and encourages their contribution to ever-increasing quality and standards.