Little Owls (Scarning)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are at the heart of this exceptional nursery. They are greeted personally by enthusiastic staff, who keenly find out what they have been doing with their families at home. Children delight in telling them where they have been and what they have seen. For example, children tell them that they have visited the dinosaur park with their families. Staff listen carefully and model taking turns in conversation. Children eagerly go off to find their friends and become engrossed in their play.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They independently remind each other of the consistent rules when playing on electronic devices and when it is time to finish. Children recognise the feelings of others and enthusiastically invite them to join their activities. For example, when a child misses the start of a game his friend encourages him to join in and share his progress.

Children make rapid and sustained progress in their development. Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are fully included in all aspects of the routines of the day. Children build extremely close bonds with staff. Toddlers and babies have wonderful, nurturing relationships with their key persons. Toddlers beam as they run to familiar adults with open arms for a cuddle. Babies are gently soothed to sleep in their sleeping pods.

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

• Managers are highly supportive of their staff. They carefully coach and train them to reflect and build on their skills. Managers recognise staff's individual strengths and use their talents. For example, staff train to be designated literacy and yoga champions, who enthusiastically implement what they have learned for the benefit of the children. They create 'GEM' awards to recognise exemplary effort. Staff and parents nominate those that they feel go above and beyond in their care for the children and families. Staff feel valued as part of a team.
• Partnerships with parents are superb. Parents report that they fully trust the staff with their children. They talk about the excellent progress their children make. During the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic parents report feeling grateful to receive home learning packs to support their children. Staff recorded videos of themselves reading stories and singing. They posted these online for children to continue their learning at home. When children have been unable to see their grandparents, due to the pandemic, staff took pictures of the children and wrote letters to send to them.
• Staff work extremely hard with other professionals involved in a child's care. They work closely with local schools to ensure that the children's transitions are well managed. Staff work really hard to make sure that all children are fully supported to transition confidently between rooms within the nursery.
• Children make excellent progress in all areas of learning. Staff gain valuable information from parents regarding their children's starting points. Children's progress is meticulously monitored to ensure that any potential gaps in their learning are quickly identified and managed. Staff make effective use of any additional funding they receive.
• Staff highly value children's opinions. The nursery chefs prepare any new dishes in advance of the menu changes. The children become mini 'master chefs' and taste the new meals. They feedback on taste and presentation regarding their likes and dislikes. Menus are adapted with their views taken into consideration.
• Children spend quality time in the enchanting grassy garden. Perspex windows in the fence allow the children to see working tractors in the fields. Horses come to the fence to greet the children when they hear their voices. Children sing farm songs as they watch them and look for treats to feed them.
• Staff actively contribute to children's developing language and communication skills. Children have access to the lending library and take books home to share with their families. Children enthusiastically take part in sound lotto games and staff use letter sounds to help the children guess the animals. Children thoroughly enjoy mark making the letters of their names in preparation for their next steps in their learning. Young children independently point out letters on a keyboard and tell adults their sounds.