Little Lodge Day Care Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a welcoming and friendly environment. They form caring bonds and provide children with plenty of cuddles for those that seek reassurance. Children settle extremely quickly into the routines at nursery. Staff are positive role models. They support children to take turns with the resources. Babies show impressive perseverance as they stack different sized wooden rings onto poles. All children show positive attitudes to their play.

Staff create an ambitious curriculum for children. They implement the curriculum for understanding the world well. Children go on outings to the local fire station, museums and library. Staff invite visitors, such as police officers, into the setting to talk to children about their different job roles. This helps children to learn about people that help them within their community.

Staff support children's emotional development well. They teach children about emotions and help them to identify how their friends are feeling. Toddlers practise pulling faces in mirrors to represent different feelings. Pre-school children discuss how they think characters may be feeling in stories. They tell their friends what makes them feel happy and and why. Children learn how to regulate their own feelings.

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

• Staff plan activities that develop children's curiosity. For instance, children become immersed in their learning as they take part in a science experiment. They observe the changes their candy canes make as they are put in different liquids, including vinegar, oil and water. Children make good progress from their starting points in development.
• The curriculum for physical development is implemented well. Toddlers ride around the garden on scooters and enjoy throwing balls to their friends. They giggle with glee as they run around playing hide and seek with staff. Pre-school children show good control as they skilfully climb up ladders and balance across planks of wood in the outdoor area. This helps to develop children's larger muscle movements.
• Overall, staff support children's communication and language. They encourage babies to repeat words and animal noises back to staff during their song and rhyme time. Staff encourage back-and-forth conversations as they play with children. However, staff are not always aware of the key vocabulary they want children to acquire. This sometimes hinders staff from developing children's vocabulary further.
• Staff promote children's growing independence well. Babies explore their environment confidently and access the toys they wish to play with. Staff encourage toddlers to wash their own hands before mealtimes and pour their own drinks. Children learn to manage their own personal hygiene.
• Children gain a love of books from a young age. Staff read stories with plenty of enthusiasm. Babies help to lift the flaps in books to see which animal is behind. They turn the pages in books and learn how to handle books gently. Staff provide puppets for pre-school children to use to help them retell well-known stories. This helps to develop children's early reading skills.
• Staff promote diversity well. They teach children about a range of festivals with children, such as Christmas, Diwali and Lunar New Year. Children try foods from other cultures. They learn about the dynamics of different families. This helps children to recognise similarities and differences between themselves and others.
• Overall, children behave well. They are kind and caring to their peers. However, staff do not always provide children with clear expectations. For instance, they do not consistently remind children about the importance of tidying up the toys after they have played with them and to walk inside. This sometimes prevents children from fully understanding the positive behaviours that are expected from them.
• Leaders are knowledgeable about children's individual needs. They work closely with other professionals, parents and staff. Leaders hold meetings to discuss children's support plans with staff at the school children will be transitioning to. This collaborative practice helps to provide smooth transitions into school for all children.
• Parent partnerships are strong. Staff keep parents involved with children's learning and development. Children choose books from the lending library to share with their parents at home. Staff share children's next steps in development with parents regularly. This helps to provide continuity in children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance professional development opportunities for all staff to extend their knowledge of how to support children's communication and language development further
• support staff to embed strategies to help children to understand the positive behaviours that are expected from them.