Little Nutkins @ St Thomas

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy and settle well in this nurturing setting. Staff skilfully create a calm, home-from-home environment. The setting is well organised and welcoming. Children love to engage in small group times, where they play 'What's in the Box'. They sing songs, take turns and develop their listening skills.

Staff follow a curriculum that provides structure and progression. They use their professional knowledge to identify the next steps in learning for children and couple this with children's interests to build on what they already know and can do. Staff carry out regular assessments to keep them up to date with children's progress, and any interventions or additional support children may need are built into planning.

Children display positive behaviour towards each other. They are taught to understand the golden rules, and staff support children in following them. For example, staff take children to look at the golden rules' display when they need more assistance to carry them out. They look at the visual prompt for 'kind hands' together. Staff offer children consistency through the different age groups of the setting, which helps children to develop their expectations. Even the youngest children use the same song when it's time to tidy up.

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

• Staff engage in positive interactions with children and thoroughly understand what children need to learn next. They ask relevant questions to support children's thinking skills. However, staff do not consistently introduce new and familiar vocabulary during children's play to challenge their thinking even more.
• Leaders and staff put the children's well-being at the heart of their day-to-day practice. Children have access to a secure outdoor learning environment where staff provide opportunities for them to practise their physical skills. Children show excitement as they ride bikes, hit a ball back and forth with members of staff and scoop amounts of oats into small and large containers.
• Children develop a love of stories. Staff read with children in small groups, maintaining their attention. Children are keen to answer questions and learn more about the characters. Each room has a focus book of the month, which staff use to link to relevant learning. For example, children in pre-school concentrate on the story of 'The Colour Monster' as they settle back into routines and friendships following the Christmas break. Other children thoroughly enjoy listening to familiar stories, such as 'The Snail and the Whale' to further support learning. Parents can borrow a copy of the book to enable them to support children's learning at home.
• There is a focus on physical development across all age groups. Babies pull themselves up against positioned furniture and commando crawl to get from one area to another. In the toddler room, children build a balance beam using foam bricks and walk across it with help from staff. Pre-school children use their fine motor skills with play dough and paintbrushes and develop an appropriate pencil grip. Children make good progress in this area.
• Children are familiar with the routine, which allows them to be independent when choosing learning and meeting their personal needs. Each area has a hand washing station which children use independently. Older children also go to the toilet and access their own coats, shoes and water bottles with minimal support from adults. Staff encourage younger babies to feed themselves. This helps children to be ready for the next stages of learning.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is consistent and thorough. Staff work collaboratively with families to ensure children make adequate steps towards targets. Necessary referrals are made in a timely manner, and staff work with external agencies. This means that these children are thriving.
• Parents are extremely happy with the care and education their children receive. They comment on how much staff care about the children and the effective communication they receive. Parents mention the support they receive for children with additional requirements and talk about the progress made in children's speech development. Parents say they would highly recommend this setting.
• Leaders hold a broad oversight of the setting's areas for development due to ongoing self-evaluation. They identify areas for staff training through regular supervision meetings with the staff and consider their ideas for personal development. Staff continually add to their knowledge through staff meetings and accessing local authority training on specific topics, such as engaging boys.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider ways to introduce new and familiar vocabulary during play experiences to challenge children's thinking even more.