Merry-Go-Round Under 5's

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children warmly on arrival. The cheerful and relaxed atmosphere ensures that children feel comfortable and eager to make independent choices of what they would like to explore. Children are immensely confident and show that they feel safe and secure. They happily sing to themselves as they play and ask the inspector inquisitive questions. Children show a strong sense of belonging. They display their creative art work within their room and talk about photos of themselves standing outside their front door of their home. Staff capture these moments to support children's knowledge of numbers.

Leaders gather a wealth of information from parents prior to children starting. A high priority is placed on establishing children's prior experiences. Staff use this information well to broaden these from the outset. This enables, all children to make good progress. Staff are positive role models. They consistently recognise and praise children for their achievements. This motivates children to have a positive attitude to be responsible and respectful individuals. They work together to tidy away what they have finished playing with and know to line up sensibly prior to going outdoors. Staff invest time in teaching children to be independent. Children manage to change their footwear and push the straw into their carton of milk from an early age. Outings in the local community increase children's awareness of the wider world and how to stay safe near roads. Children learn about different occupations, such as the role of a butcher and a baker.

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

• Leaders and the staff team have a clear intent to the curriculum they offer. This focuses on embedding key life skills that help to prepare children for their next stage in learning. Staff implement exciting role play activities that enable children to re-enact previous experiences. These are highly effective in embedding knowledge and supporting children's high levels of engagement.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to provide children with personalised support plans and implement individual strategies to help them make the best possible progress. Any additional funding the setting receives is precisely targeted to support children's individual needs.
• Overall, partnerships with parents and children's extended family is good. They are invited to spend time with their children at organised events. This helps them to experience what it is like for their child to attend. Leaders share a broad overview of how children are progressing and information about themes that children are learning about with parents. However, parents are not fully informed of their children's progression and their individual next steps in learning. Despite this, parents welcome the ideas staff share to support children's learning at home. They comment that their children talk fondly about the staff team and how keen their children are keen to attend. Parents describe the staff as 'amazing' with a very 'caring and nurturing approach'.
• Children's behaviour is good. This is because staff have high expectations of children and implement purposeful activities that support them to develop good social skills. For example, children form positive relationships as they select a partner to hold hands with and respectfully engage in movement together during action songs. Regular yoga sessions help children to learn breathing patterns to develop a sense of calm to support them to regulate their emotions. Children take turns to be 'leader of the day'. They eagerly carry out age-appropriate responsibilities, such as helping to prepare snack. Children show a strong sense of pride and this also helps to boost their self-esteem.
• All staff have good opportunities to complete training. New knowledge and skills are shared with the whole team to ensure a consistent approach. Recent training has enhanced staff knowledge how to implement specialised strategies to further promote children's language skills. Supervisions of staff practice are completed by leaders. However, during these reviews, leaders have not identified that the planned curriculum is not always implemented effectively by all staff. This means that some more-able children are not consistently provided with enough challenge to build on their prior learning.
• Staff promote healthy lifestyles for children. They provide nutritious snacks and teach children to independently manage their personal care and hygiene. A visit from a dentist increases children's awareness about the importance of good oral health and food that is good for their teeth. Children benefit from frequent access to the outdoor area where they develop good physical skills and assess their own risks. For instance, children develop strength and stamina as they persevere to climb the climbing wall to reach the slide.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide parents with more information about their children's progress and their next steps in learning
• review the curriculum and staff practice more closely to ensure all staff consistently provide more-able children with a good level of challenge.