Little Frogs Day Care

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy attending this nursery, which is at the heart of its community. They enjoy a wide range of experiences provided for them. Children learn about their local community and how they are a part of it. They take part in community parades, such as the 'Winterton Float Parade', and visit local businesses, following staff recognising that children have had limited experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Children are able to move freely between the outdoor and indoor environment and make choices about their play. They wear animal masks and pretend to be tigers as they roar at each other and hide behind the trees. Children play together and practise their physical skills. They try hard to hit the ball with a bat as it goes around the pole. Children confidently ride around on bicycles. They are developing a broad set of physical skills.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children confidently wash their hands before lunch without being asked to do so. Children follow the nursery routine with ease. Older children help younger children to pour their drinks. They say 'please' and 'thank you' and staff praise them for their good manners. Staff talk to children about how their behaviour makes others feel. Children are developing a sense of what is right and wrong.

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

• The manager considers children's ages and stages of development well, overall. She works with her staff team to plan learning that helps children to be ready for school. For example, they support older children to be independent. Children make choices about their play and put on their own coats and shoes. In addition, effective partnerships with the local school help children to move smoothly onto this next stage in their education.
• Children have many opportunities to learn about the wider world. For example, they learn about people who help them and write letters to the local dentist to thank them for looking after their teeth. They help staff to put together 'care packages' for local elderly residents. Children are learning about how they can help others.
• Staff support children's language and communication skills well. They ask them questions during play and talk to them about what they are doing. For example, in the sand pit, staff use words such as 'soft' and 'sprinkle'. This is helping children to broaden their growing vocabulary.
• Children have many opportunities to learn key mathematical skills and language. For instance, children roll cars down a ramp that they have attached to a table; staff and children count backwards together from five as they get ready to race the cars down the ramps. Staff talk to children about shapes in the environment and compare different-sized objects.
• A balance of activities gives children of all ages opportunities to play together. Older children are good role models for the younger children. However, on a very small number of occasions, younger children are not yet developmentally ready to take part in some large-group activities. They sometimes become frustrated and disengaged in the activity, which does not fully support their learning.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents speak highly of the staff team and describe the nursery as 'nurturing' and 'safe'. Parents describe how staff talk to them about how to help their child at home and how this is further supporting their children to make good progress in their learning. Information is gathered from parents when children first start at the nursery, which helps to begin a two-way flow of communication between parents and staff. This enables staff to consider children's starting points and previous experiences, which, in turn, helps them plan for children's learning.
• Partnership working with other professionals is good. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are sensitively supported so that they can access all aspects of the nursery and what it has to offer. Staff access training to gain new knowledge or skills when children have specific needs. Children with SEND make good progress alongside their peers.
• Staff are well supported by the manager. They have regular opportunities to discuss their strengths and areas for development. Regular staff meetings provide the whole team with a place to talk together and share good practice. This is helping the nursery to continuously improve its provision for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that all children's ages and stages of development are taken into account when planning large-group activities.