Lutley Kindergarten

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted with a warm welcome as they arrive at the setting. They know their routines well. Staff are on hand to help children to hang up their coats and bags. Children recognise their names to self-register. Staff acknowledge how children are feeling by using different gestures to signal happy and sad. This ensures that children settle quickly and feel safe and secure.

Staff use their knowledge about children's interests to plan fun experiences for them. This helps to build on their skills and knowledge. Children are excited as they connect coloured blocks to build structures. They make enclosures for their dinosaurs and beds for their small play people. Children play with toy farm animals and engage in outdoor learning. They make 'soup' using mud in the well-resourced outdoor kitchen. They role play in the playhouse using their imagination to recreate a pizzeria. They balance on beams and create outdoor games such as hopscotch.

Children are secure in their relationships with their peers and staff. Staff are extremely kind and build bonds with children. They encourage and motivate children to have a go and join in with their play. As a result, children behave well and feel they are valued.

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

• Leaders and staff are positive role models and know what children need to learn. They have put together an ambitious curriculum that is sequenced well for all children. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development.
• Children develop their mathematical skills extremely well. For example, children learn to order numerals and use wooden blocks to learn about shapes. Staff model mathematical language through play to help children to think about how many more stones they will need to match the numerals. This ensures children are developing good knowledge of numbers and shapes.
• Children are making progress in their communication and language skills. Staff assess children's speech, language and communication needs using a screening toolkit. They swiftly work alongside parents and make timely referrals to other agencies when any gaps are identified. As a result, children are well supported to make good progress.
• Children are learning about other cultures and the world around them. For example, children learn that different cultures celebrate festivals at different times of the year. However, staff do not always think about what skills and knowledge children need to deepen their understanding of the cultures within their immediate community.
• Children are active learners. They engage in physical activities. For example, they balance on beams. They learn to use language such as up and under as they climb the frame. In addition, they visit the forest school and children recall their experiences by talking about the hot chocolate they have had.
• Staff create opportunities for children to develop their creative skills. For example, children freely explore and create from the resources on offer. However, in adult-led activities, staff have a focus on what they want children to do. This does not allow children to make choices in their own creative ideas.
• Children benefit from healthy snacks, and staff promote healthy lunch boxes. They remind parents about providing a balanced lunch box by including fruit. Staff keep their knowledge up to date about children's dietary requirements and allergies. This means children's individual dietary needs are met.
• Staff use snack time to help develop children's independence skills. Staff guide children as they have a go at pouring their own drinks and using tongs to pick up cucumbers and toast.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents comment that their children have come on in leaps and bounds. They report they are happy with the support that they receive from the staff. For example, they say the staff have helped their children to build their confidence.
• Leaders work closely with committee members. They are proactive at evaluating their own practice. Leaders have considerable empathy for staff and the families. This helps them to decide on how to move the provision on further. This helps to improve the overall outcomes for children attending.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen how children understand culture and diversity, preparing them for life in their local community
• extend the opportunities in adult-led activities for children to make choices in their creative ideas.