Little Woodland Tribe @ Long Melford Country Park

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children blossom in this welcoming setting. Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They provide children with a wealth of opportunities for outdoor learning who thoroughly enjoy spending all their time playing outdoors. This helps children to connect with nature and develop their understanding of the world. For example, they are quick to notice changes in the trees as the seasons change.

Children show high levels of self-assurance. They confidently speak to visitors and explain how old they were on their last birthday and what their age will be on their next. Children behave well and have positive relationships with their peers. Older children act as positive role models for the younger ones. For example, they remind them of the rules of the setting and where in the forest they can go. Staff provide children with plenty of praise and encouragement, helping to boost their self-esteem and confidence.

Children are supported to tune into their environment. Staff encourage children to listen to the different songs that birds sing and describe their different characteristics. Children confidently name birds that they can see and hear. They skilfully identify different trees and staff use these moments to support children's mathematical development. For instance, they ask the children to compare different sizes of buds that have grown on the trees.

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

• Leaders plan a curriculum that focuses on the skills that children need to learn next. This prepares them for the next stage in their learning, such as school. Children start the session, by sitting on logs and singing the welcome song where they welcome each person by name. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging.
• Leaders gather information from parents when children start in the setting about their needs, interests and development. However, staff do not always recognise the benefit of seeking up-to-date information from parents and other settings to enable them to plan more precisely for children's individual needs and learning.
• Children are curious learners, who demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They explore their surroundings with confidence. Staff help them to develop their climbing and balancing skills and encourage age-appropriate risk-taking. For example, children work cooperatively together to tie ropes between trees and pull themselves up the slope, testing their abilities. Children have many opportunities to learn how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, staff teach children to use rubber hammers safely as they use them on the logs in the forest.
• Children are confident communicators. Staff model words and extend children's language effectively. For example, when young children use single words, staff repeat these back, adding extra words to the sentence. Staff use simple Makaton sign language to support the development of spoken language for those children who need additional support.
• Children explain the rules and boundaries to visitors, demonstrating a deep understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they explain that when they are walking in the forest, they can run to the cherry tree but must wait for further instructions as to where they can run next. This gives children freedom and autonomy to explore their environment while maintaining boundaries to keep them safe.
• Children use their imagination well. They invent stories of searching for a dragon in the trees. Staff enthusiastically join in with the 'dragon hunt' as they look for tracks in the mud. They introduce alternative words to children, such as 'creep', to help describe how they are moving slowly. Children later use these words in their play, demonstrating that they understand their meaning.
• Staff provide opportunities throughout the day for children to freely develop their mark making. For example, in the forest, the children use sticks to make marks in the mud. Children use notepads and pencils to record any animals or insects that they find. This helps to develop their hand-to-eye coordination and fine motor skills in preparation for early writing.
• Partnerships with parents are particularly positive. Parents understand what their children are learning and how they can support them at home. They discuss the rapid progress that their children have made since starting at the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to gather more information about children's ongoing needs to plan precisely for their learning to help all children make even better progress.