Messy Hands

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed into the setting by caring staff. They show they feel safe and secure as they separate well from their parents and carers. Children happily follow the daily routine of the setting as they confidently wash their hands upon arrival. Children hang their coats on named pegs before self-selecting from the wide range of experiences planned by the staff.

Children greet their friends and quickly become engaged in play. They are keen to explore the play dough. Staff support children to develop their small hand muscles. They help them to use scissors to cut herbs and rollers to flatten the play dough. Staff encourage children to use their senses. Children describe the texture of the dough, smell the herbs, and look closely at the marks they make.

Outside, children explore the mud kitchen. Staff engage children in conversation as children pretend to make chocolate cakes. They help children recall past baking activities, supporting children to think about the ingredients they used. Children enjoy the freedom of the large garden, where they ride balance bicycles, skilfully weaving around objects. Staff support children to take risks as they climb on equipment, balance and jump from safe heights. Children learn about the natural world they live in as they are encouraged to collect old leaves to add to the composter, learn how to make bird feeders and grow vegetables all year round.

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

• Children are at the centre of everything the staff do. Staff plan a wide and exciting curriculum based on children's needs and interests. For instance, when the children find a bee in the garden, staff recognise their curiosity. They encourage children to explore the bee further, using a magnifying glass and books about bees to learn new facts to broaden their understanding. This support helps children to engage in experiences and make good progress in their learning.
• The staff get to know the children and their families well. They gather information from parents during children's settling-in sessions to identify their starting points. The staff regularly assess their key children's progress. They swiftly identify where children need additional support in learning and use their knowledge to plan activities to close gaps in children's development.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. The special educational needs coordinator liaises with other professionals to support children in all areas of the curriculum. This helps them reach their full potential.
• Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported. Staff use vocabulary from children's home languages to help children to gain a good grasp of English. Communication is well supported throughout the setting, as staff use visual aids, books and simple signs to support language development.
• Children independently select from a well-resourced environment. Staff encourage children to make choices throughout the day, such as which story to read at story time. However, children are not always encouraged to fully develop their independence skills because staff often do things for children that they could be encouraged to do themselves.
• Children's behaviour is good. They follow instructions and listen to staff well. Staff play games with children, supporting them to take turns and share resources. They offer praise and words of encouragement, which boosts children's self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Mathematics is woven into everyday play as staff support children to count out objects and recognise numbers. Staff plan focus activities, supporting children to gain a concept of weight, space, and measure. For instance, staff support children to learn to balance the scales. Children slowly add oats to the container and watch the weights rise and balance.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Families have good relationships with staff and understand what their children are learning. Staff keep parents up to date with their children's progress using an online system. This includes photos, advice and support on how to continue their children's learning at home.
• Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings, where they can discuss their key children, their general well-being and professional development. The manager monitors staff's practice through observations and uses this to identify any specific training that they might benefit from. However, the manager has not yet identified ways to better deploy staff during routine activities to extend and continue children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• promote children's independence more consistently by encouraging them to do more things for themselves
• review and improve staff deployment during routine activities to extend and continue children's purposeful learning.