Little People Farfield

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in this calm and nurturing nursery. Staff have children's best interests at heart and continually ensure their safety and well-being. For example, staff consider the weather and any hazards when deciding to take children to play outside. Leaders monitor the daily ultraviolet rays to make sure that children are protected with sun cream in sunny weather. Staff respond quickly to babies' and children's needs. As a result, children build strong relationships with all staff and feel emotionally secure in their care.

Children follow the daily routines of the nursery well. For instance, they listen to and follow instructions from staff to wash their hands before eating or taking part in baking activities. Children are patient and gladly wait for their turn as they work together to measure out ingredients to bake biscuits. Older children in the nursery take on the role of 'helpers' and help to set the tables during snack and mealtimes. This helps children to develop their sense of responsibility and confidence in their abilities.

Children's experiences outside of the nursery are valued by staff. For example, staff set up a pretend ice-cream shop, in response to children visiting an ice-cream factory with their families. Children thoroughly enjoy pretending to make and serve each other ice cream. They develop their imaginations and communication skills as they use a pretend card-payment machine to sell their creations to their friends. These opportunities help to extend children's understanding and enhance their learning.

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

• Children show high levels of engagement and positive attitudes to their learning. For example, children giggle and jump in excitement as staff play parachute games with them and blow bubbles. Babies clap gleefully after climbing up and coming down the slide. Toddlers cheer with enthusiasm as they get ready to play outside. Children do not let the weather deter them and eagerly put on their puddle suits and wellington boots to play in the rain.
• Leaders and staff have worked hard to develop an ambitious curriculum to promote children's good learning and development. However, this is still being embedded into staff's practice, and there are some inconsistencies in how staff put into place and sequence the new curriculum. For instance, staff in the toddler room support children to learn how to pour their own drinks. However, on some occasions, staff pour the drinks for the older children in the nursery. Staff do not always consistently support older children's listening and attention skills, even though this is a development goal for this group of children.
• Staff support children well to do things for themselves. For example, children learn how to use cutlery with confidence to feed themselves. They drink from open-top cups and wipe their own noses. These opportunities help children to develop their independence skills.
• Leaders and staff invite parents and carers into the nursery for parents' evenings and stay-and-play sessions. Parents have access to an app to find out information about their children's learning and development. Leaders and staff support children's home learning by providing books and activities to share at home. These approaches promote strong parent partnerships which, in turn, ensure consistency for children's care and education.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with parents and external professionals. This helps the SENCo to plan precise support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The SENCo supports staff to monitor the progress of children with SEND. Consequently, children with SEND achieve well and continue to meet their next steps in learning.
• Leaders ensure that staff are suitable through robust recruitment procedures. Staff take part in detailed inductions. This supports their understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff attend regular supervision sessions with leaders and receive support to achieve higher level childcare qualifications. Leaders and staff have taken part in training and professional development activities. This ensures that staff's practice and knowledge continues to develop and improve over time.
• Leaders place a high priority on staff's well-being. For example, they provide well-being events and opportunities for staff to receive praise and recognition for their work. As a result, staff are highly motivated and dedicated to their roles. This helps staff to work well together as a team and promote the learning and happiness of all children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the monitoring of staff's practice to ensure that they support and build on children's skills and knowledge consistently across the nursery.