Little Oaks

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children gladly greet their friends as they arrive. Staff welcome them warmly and ask them which activity they would like to join in with. Children and staff demonstrate close and meaningful relationships. For instance, they sit together and discuss exciting upcoming family events. Children appear to feel safe and secure in the nursery environment.

Staff promote children's understanding of care and respect for one another. For example, staff teach them about using 'kind hands' and 'listening ears'. Children show a good understanding of what is expected of them. They take turns with resources as they joyfully explore in the sand tray together. Children respect one another when they play.

Leaders provide children with a range of experiences to inspire and interest them. For example, they learn about nature and visit the forest together. Children discuss what they remember about different rules they should follow when they are near the fire circle. Children also demonstrate a keen interest in the natural environment. They look at small creatures with interest and discuss why so many snails have come out on a rainy day. Children build secure knowledge of the world around them.

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

• Leaders create a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. It focuses on building children's confidence and providing them with the knowledge they need for school. Staff know children well. They understand their stage of development and plan effective activities to help children achieve the next steps in their learning. Children's progress is supported well.
• Staff encourage children to energetically explore how their bodies move. Children learn to climb and balance on the large indoor equipment. Staff support them to recognise how to use it safely and to take turns with their friends. Children engage in their learning as they develop good physical skills.
• Staff have a clear oversight for supporting children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with professionals who are involved in children's care, such as sensory play specialists and speech and language therapists. Together, they implement a shared approach to children's education to support them to achieve the best outcomes.
• Children develop a keen love of reading. They regularly look at books independently. Staff promote this interest further and often sit with groups of children to explore different narratives. Furthermore, staff are engaging and enthusiastic as they read, and children listen attentively. They talk together about the different letters and words that can be seen on the page. Children gain an understanding of the meaning of vocabulary and print.
• Children carry out some tasks without adult support. For example, they are encouraged to wash their hands and put their bowls away in the sink after snack. However, there are times when staff do not encourage children to do tasks for themselves, as intended by leaders. This means that children's independence skills are not consistently increased.
• Leaders provide a wealth of training to staff. For example, staff speak positively about mathematics training they have recently completed. They discuss how it has improved their teaching in this area of learning. Leaders conduct regular supervision sessions to support staff's well-being and identify training needs. This means that teaching standards are regularly monitored to raise the quality of education for children.
• Parents and carers speak positively about the nursery. They feel well-informed about their child's progress and development. Staff regularly communicate with parents about the different activities children have enjoyed. Furthermore, parents are invited into the nursery to discuss what children will be learning next and how this can be supported at home. Leaders have also developed a communication board to improve information-sharing even further. Partnerships with parents are strong.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff interactions to consistently increase children's independence skills.