Little Owls Nursery Harehills

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy at this setting. Leaders create a strong induction programme for children and their families. Children attend short settling-in sessions. This helps them to begin to build relationships with staff. Staff adapt the length of this process to meet the individual needs of each child. This helps children to start at the setting feeling settled and secure.

Children of all ages develop their physical skills at this setting. Babies have access to an indoor climbing frame. They balance up the stairs and then slide down the slide. There is a focus on children learning outdoors. Toddlers balance on logs as they pretend to be on their own bear hunt. Pre-school children practise jumping and rolling on cushioned mats in their outdoor area.

The curriculum is sequenced across the setting. Staff consider the stages of development of all children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Leaders have regular communication with families and outside agencies to support children with additional needs. There is a robust key-person system, which ensures that staff know in-depth information about their key children's progress. Key persons plan regular next steps in learning for children and appropriate activities to aid their development.

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

• Staff consistently build on children's language and communication skills. They read stories to children regularly, such as 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', to reinforce new vocabulary. Staff re-enact stories in the outdoor area and give children opportunities to understand the language using real-life objects. Staff develop children's attention skills by singing with musical instruments, encouraging them to start and stop.
• Leaders work hard to promote children's healthy lifestyles. Children brush their teeth daily at the setting. Staff communicate with parents about the importance of good oral hygiene. The on-site cook creates a balanced and nutritious diet for children, including regular fruit snacks during the day.
• Overall, children behave well. Staff use picture cards to communicate their expectations to children who understand things better using these. They explain to children why some actions are unsafe. However, at times, staff do not manage some children's disruptive behaviour in a timely manner. This impacts and disturbs other children's learning.
• Parents are extremely happy with the care that the setting provides. They comment that leaders support the whole family. Communication with parents is strong. Staff create books with pictures of activity ideas for each age group of children for parents to do at home. This encourages parents to support their children's learning. Parents are regularly updated through an online system that highlights their child's achievements and what they need to learn next.
• Children are sometimes given opportunities to be independent. They are supported to find their picture on their coat peg to hang up their belongings. However, this is not consistent, and staff often do things for children that they are able to do themselves. For example, staff wipe children's noses and serve their food and drink. This does not give children opportunities to practise these skills ready for the next stage in their education.
• Staff report feeling well supported at this setting. They have an opportunity during supervision sessions to have confidential and supportive discussions with leaders. Staff can request additional training, and leaders will organise this. They have attended training that has had a positive impact on teaching. Staff discuss changes that they have made to support children's development due to new knowledge from training.
• Leaders and staff have a strong understanding of their local area. They tailor their care to the needs of the community. Staff have strong links with other professionals and charities, and they signpost families to further support if needed. Teachers from local schools visit the setting before children begin attending. Staff have relationships with other agencies to help to provide a high level of continuous support for children and their families.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to manage children's behaviour to ensure that disruptions to other children's learning are reduced
• give children consistent opportunities to develop their independence in self-care tasks.