Little Farmers @ Cuckoo Down Farm

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and settle quickly in the welcoming nursery. Staff get to know children before they start and work hard to follow children's routines. They offer cuddles and reassurance to those who are new to the nursery to help them feel safe and secure. Children build close bonds with staff and show good levels of emotional well-being. New children come into the nursery and start to play after a short cuddle with their key person.

Leaders and staff have created a curriculum that focuses on children developing their independence. Staff inspire the children to do things for themselves. For example, children learn to put on welly boots and waterproofs. Toddlers and older children collect their own food at lunchtime and use knives and forks to cut items on their plates. Children are confident to try to do things for themselves and show good levels of self-care.

Children benefit from the fresh air and learning opportunities on the farm and in the private woods where children spend most of their day. They build their physical skills and develop a strong motivation to explore. Babies learn to walk and balance as they play in the woods, climbing over logs and investigating. Older children build strength as they lift branches to make dens.

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

• Staff know the children well and plan activities based on termly themes and children's next stages of learning. They monitor children's progress and identify gaps in children's learning. All children progress from their starting points. However, although staff know children well, they do not routinely use this information to fully extend all children's knowledge and skills. For example, staff do not ask quieter children to join in with others who are den building to help them to develop and practise their speech and communication skills further.
• Leaders and staff are dedicated to their role and to improving the provision. For example, they have introduced a covered area on the cabin building. Children who prefer to play outdoors can still access the fresh air and build their sense of self by following their own preferences in where they want to play. Staff use fortnightly meetings and supervisions to identify any changes needed. They take the feedback from parents and children and include this in their evaluations.
• Staff support children's love of reading and developing vocabulary. They use stories to introduce new words and explain their meaning. Children talk about the characters in books and recall the main events. They love listening to familiar stories and nursery rhymes. They join in with key phrases, which supports their speech development.
• Leaders and staff know the skills they want children to have by the time they go to school. They have worked with local teachers to identify what children need to be able to do to support them in their next stages of learning. They build children's social skills and ability to listen to instructions. Children are confident communicators and keen to share their ideas. They are well prepared for the transition to school.
• Staff have a kind and caring approach and are positive role models to children. They teach children to care and respect others. For instance, children learn how to look after chickens and the pony on the farm, helping them to consider the needs of the animals. They show a caring attitude. For example, older children offer to help babies sit down for snack and try to make them laugh.
• Children play cooperatively and behave well. However, on occasion, staff do not organise transition times effectively. Children wait for long periods, such as when waiting to go outside or for food to be served. Staff do not routinely engage them in purposeful learning at these times, and activities are too repetitive. Some children become restless and disengaged.
• Staff understand the importance of effective partnerships with parents. They share ideas for how parents can help their child at home and give daily updates on children's progress. They work closely with parents to meet children's care needs. An effective key-person system ensures consistency of support for all children. Parents feel well informed about their child's learning and development and speak positively about the staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• offer quieter children consistent support to help them practise and build on their existing knowledge and skills to further develop their speech and communication skills
• develop the organisation of transition and mealtimes to ensure that children are settled and engaged in purposeful learning.