Little Learners (NE)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this caring setting. For example, they thoroughly enjoy playing with a parachute. They hide underneath and shriek in delight when staff lift the parachute up. Staff work well together and their commitment to the children and their families is evident. Children come in happily in the morning. Older children greet staff enthusiastically. Younger children settle quickly with the support of the very caring staff. Children develop very strong relationships with their key person and the other staff present. Parents comment that their children are really happy. They like the communication they receive and feel that they know what their children are doing.

Staff, generally, have high expectations for what children can achieve. For example, older children recognise their names, count confidently to 15 and begin to form some of the letters of their name. Children behave well. They know the rules of the setting. An example of this is when children working in the play dough remind other children that they need to put an apron on.

Children are safe. Staff have thought carefully about how they can keep children safe following the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, staff ensure that children wash their hands throughout the session. They clean resources regularly to reduce the spread of infection.

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

• Staff, generally, think carefully about how they set up the learning environment. For example, they plan many activities outside to provide opportunities for those children who do not have access to an outdoor space at home. Children enjoy the time they have outside. During the inspection, children thoroughly enjoy the well-equipped outdoor area. Some children enjoy building, while others explore the movement of things down chutes.
• The manager and her staff team evaluate their practice. They make changes to support children's learning further. Recently, staff have moved and reorganised the book area to help children concentrate more during story times.
• Children enjoy the group activities. For example, children enjoy sticking the spots on a cow or counting to 15. However, staff do not always focus sufficiently on what they want children to learn during these activities. At times, they lack an appropriate level of challenge as a result of this.
• Children concentrate well. Two-year-old children persevere as they attempt to pick up feathers with tweezers. Older children concentrate well as they develop their physical skills at snack time. For example, they thoroughly enjoy spreading the jam on their toast and pouring the milk.
• Staff have clear plans for how they can help children develop their language skills. Staff confidently explain that they are helping younger children to use single words. When staff give children a choice of drinks at snack time, young children respond well requesting 'milk' or 'water'. However, there are times when staff ask too many questions. When children do not respond, they rephrase or ask more questions. This confuses children and does not help to develop their vocabulary.
• There is a strong training programme, which is based on developing staff practice further. For example, some staff have identified that they wish to develop their awareness of autism spectrum disorder. Staff, sometimes, discuss key aspects of learning from training in staff meetings. The manager identifies that she now needs to ensure this information is implemented into practice and has an impact on children's learning.
• Children develop a good understanding of how they can keep themselves healthy. They know that they need to 'catch the germs'. For example, after playing in the water and drying their hands, children rush to sanitise their hands. When children cough or blow their nose, they also immediately wash and sanitise their hands.
• Children make particularly good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. Staff focus on helping children to share and take turns with other children. During the inspection, staff help children in the water to take turns with each other. They teach children to talk about how they are feeling, to help them to manage their emotions.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus group activities more specifically on what children need to learn next to provide even higher levels of challenge
• strengthen communication with children and give them more time to express their own thoughts and ideas
• ensure key aspects of learning from training are consistently implemented into practice.