Meadowcroft Munchkins

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the nursery with beaming smiles, excited and motivated to learn. They confidently explore and engage in the range of interesting activities and experiences staff have planned. For example, children explore with their senses and use different tools. Young children pick up and cut pieces of cooked spaghetti with pincers and scissors. Older children make paintings using pegs with different-textured materials attached. They squeeze open the pegs to carefully attach pieces of foil and cotton wool. Children develop their hand-to-eye coordination and concentration as they learn to control their movements and build strength in their hands. They benefit from a well-structured curriculum and make good progress in their learning and development.

Children enjoy spending time with the friendly and nurturing staff who know them well. This has a positive impact on children's social and emotional development and overall well-being. Babies respond positively to staff's playful interactions. They copy simple actions such as clapping their hands and waving as they begin to communicate their needs and interests. Children form close friendships with their peers. They work together and listen to each other's ideas. For instance, children make a border with bricks around their flower arrangements. They talk about how this will protect the flowers. Children develop problem-solving skills and the ability to communicate with their friends as they collaborate as a team. They learn about taking care of things and develop an understanding of the world around them.

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

• The manager and her team are dedicated to providing good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work in close partnership with parents and professionals to ensure they follow strategies that meet children's specific needs. Staff observe and assess children's progress in order to swiftly identify any emerging needs and ensure they put in place suitable support. They are committed to making sure all children achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Staff support children's mathematical abilities well. For instance, younger children hear numbers in sequence as they listen to familiar rhymes and songs. Older children recognise how many dots they can see on a dice and accurately count each dot to check their predictions. They make links between the amount and their age as they develop a secure understanding of number.
• Staff promote children's good health through providing opportunities for children to be physically active. For example, children ride tricycles around the playground, racing their friends and getting their heart rates up. They benefit from the positive effect exercise and fresh air has on their bodies.
• Overall, staff interact with children positively to support their communication and language development. They give clear instructions, ask children questions and allow children plenty of time to speak and share their thoughts and ideas. However, on occasions, staff do not introduce children to even more rich and varied vocabulary during their interactions. Therefore, they do not extend children's knowledge about what they are learning to an even higher level.
• Staff use positive techniques to ensure children understand the daily routine. They let children know when something is about to happen and give them time to finish what they are doing. They give children opportunities to do things independently, such as serving their own snack. This allows children to develop a sense of responsibility and supports them to know what is expected of them and what is coming next. Consequently, children behave well.
• Children have access to a wide range of books. They enjoy looking at these independently and together with staff. Overall, staff read to children with enthusiasm. For instance, they ask questions and talk to children about how the different characters might feel. However, sometimes when staff read to children in large groups, they do not support all children to engage and concentrate effectively. Therefore, some children become distracted and do not benefit fully from the experience.
• The manager works with children's key persons and parents to ensure any additional funding for children is spent effectively. For instance, she purchases resources and creates learning packs based on children's individual next steps. Children can take these home to share with parents and continue their learning at home.
• The manager has effective systems to monitor and develop staff's knowledge and skills and support their well-being. Staff work closely together to share new ideas and reflect on their practice. This helps their continuous development and contributes to their ability to provide good experiences for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide further support for staff to enhance their interactions with children by introducing them to more rich and varied vocabulary and extending children's knowledge to a higher level
• support staff to organise large-group activities, such as story time, more effectively, to ensure all children involved can fully engage and benefit from the experience.