Little Feet

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they are happy and content at the nursery. They are confident and demonstrate a sense of belonging. For example, children's family photos are displayed and prompt positive interactions and discussion about who is important to them. Staff provide activities to promote children's communication and language skills from an early age. For instance, children excitedly sit in a circle to partake in a familiar activity. They grasp a large piece of stretchy material and move it around as they sing 'warming up the pan'. They pretend to pour oil into the 'pan' and then tip yellow balls onto the material to represent corn. Children continue singing, 'sizzle, sizzle, pop, pop, pop,' squealing and giggling as they make the balls fly into the air and jump out of the material.

Children develop their physical skills through a range of stimulating experiences. They spend time in the outdoor area where they build their core strength and agility. Children confidently negotiate the climbing wall to reach the top of the slide. They wait patiently for their turn before zooming down to the bottom. Once mastered, the children run around the climbing frame and join their friends in the line for their next go.

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

• Management and staff provide inclusive care for all children. They show consideration for children's individual needs and make necessary adaptations to the premises and curriculum. Staff provide children with opportunities to engage in the local community. They get involved with the church celebrations and visit the care home to sing to the residents. Staff make links with other settings that children attend. They share information and activity ideas to help children make continued progress.
• Staff carry out activities based on children's interests and prior knowledge. For example, children learn about the solar system. They use their imagination to create a story about an astronaut zooming off to Jupiter in a rocket. Children collectively agree on the name 'Cranky' for the astronaut. They think of a problem that the astronaut faces, which is that an alien takes all the stars away. The children quickly find a solution, and the astronaut and alien become friends. This helps to support children's sequenced learning and embed what they have already learned.
• Overall, children behave well. They use good manners and remember to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children positively respond to transitions between routines. For example, when the tidy-up song comes on, they eagerly search for items to pack away. However, on rare occasions when children display unwanted behaviour, staff are not always consistent in their responses. As a result, the same unwanted behaviour is repeated.
• The management has systems for staff supervision. Staff comment that they feel valued and supported in their work and have manageable workloads. They have access to training and take on additional roles to support their professional development. However, the staff's knowledge of the curriculum intent is not always clear. They sometimes struggle to express what skills they want children to gain from the activities provided.
• Parents are positive about the nursery and the staff who work there. They comment that their children make good progress, and that they hit the 'jackpot' finding the nursery. Staff gather information from parents about experiences children have had before starting at the nursery. This helps them to understand what children already know and can do. Parents confirm that they are informed about their children's progress and given ideas to support learning at home.
• Staff know what their key children can do and what they need to learn next. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is excellent. Staff work closely with other agencies involved with the children to implement targeted learning plans. The nursery's special educational needs coordinator supports parents to make referrals to other professionals and to apply for additional funding.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's knowledge of the curriculum intent so they are clear about what it is that children need to learn to help children reach their full potential
• develop staff's awareness of how to provide children with consistent messages and support so that children understand and manage their behaviour.