Little People of Fulham

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed by staff as they arrive at the nursery. Children who are a little upset during this time are gently reassured and supported to settle by the kind and attentive staff. They are able to choose what to play with from an interesting and inviting range of toys and resources. Each age group has their allocated time to use the garden. This is carefully thought through and designed to enable children of all ages and stages of development to explore and extend their learning. Toddlers take delight in making marks with water and paint brushes. They observe what happens when they use water to paint on the chalk board. These experiences enhance children's awareness of changes and support skills such as writing.

Children develop good levels of independence from a young age. For example, babies receive encouragement to crawl and to walk. Toddlers and pre-school children serve their food at mealtimes, which enables them to develop good arm coordination and sharing skills. Children are reminded of simple rules and boundaries, which helps them to understand and manage their own behaviour. For example, children learn to take turns, share and to be respectful.

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

• The manager has a very clear intention for what children need to learn next. The curriculum is ambitious for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, the manager and staff work tirelessly and very closely with parents to ensure that they address any gaps in learning immediately and without delay. This means that children receive the right support at the right time to help them make the best possible progress in their learning.
• Children are provided with healthy and nutritious meals, which supports their health and well-being. Older children confidently use the toilet. They understand the importance of handwashing and this is carried out at appropriate times throughout the day. However, more attention needs to be focused on snack time for the older toddlers, to ensure that the good hygiene practice is consistently implemented.
• Staff support children's communications skills effectively. For example, in the baby room, staff add words to children's actions and sing to them as they play. For the toddlers, they provide lots of explanation and repetition. Staff ask older children questions and give them time to respond. Children talk and cooperate with each other as they build different forms of transport. Older children speak fluently and in full sentences. However, on occasions, staff do not implement support well enough for children who find it more difficult to concentrate and engage.
• Staff know their key children well and understand their current levels of development. However, at lunch time, staff caring for the youngest children sometimes become too focused on carrying out nursery routines. At these times, staff do not deploy themselves effectively to make sure they consistently implement the learning intentions.
• Older children develop good mathematical and literacy skills. For instance, some children independently write a range of numbers, both in English and other languages which are spoken at home. Other children sound out letters and put them together to spell and write words such as 'cat'. Children in the pre-school know different shapes and use building blocks to make triangles, squares and pentagons. Children develop important skills for starting school and the future.
• Partnerships with parents are very good. Parents speak extremely highly of the kind and caring staff team and they commented about the high impact of this on children's development. For example, they commented on how quickly their children's confidence had developed and how the staff had made them feel, 'like we matter.'
• The team reflect on and evaluate their practice to help them improve. There is a clear programme of ongoing professional development and support for staff to undertake training. Staff speak highly of their leaders' support for them, both in their roles and for their well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review snack time for the older toddlers to ensure consistency in the implementation of hygiene practice
• focus on implementing support more consistently for children who find it difficult to concentrate and engage
• implement lunchtime routines more successfully to help reduce children's anxiety and promote consistency more effectively.