Mini's Daycare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff prioritise developing children's language and early mathematics skills to build strong foundations for future learning. The manager has completed extensive training to support these areas. As a result, children are confident communicators and enjoy solving number-based problems. Staff build close relationships with babies and children from the outset. They get to know them well and gather plenty of information from parents. This helps children to settle quickly and feel secure. Babies learn and play in a calm environment, where staff support their developing physical skills. Staff help young babies to sit unaided and understand how to strengthen the core muscles through 'tummy-time' activities.

Staff teach children to follow instructions to help keep themselves safe. They behave well as they move between activities and different areas of the nursery. Children understand staff's expectations of them and why rules are in place. Leaders plan a broad range of activities. For instance, pre-school children enjoy attending weekly swimming sessions. This expands their scope of experience, and they develop their independence skills as they undress and dress themselves.

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

• Leaders and senior staff support less experienced staff well, and leaders plan training to improve staff's practice. However, training is not always tailored to staff's individual development needs. Therefore, the improvements in their practice are not always focused on the areas that would benefit children's learning the most.
• Staff monitor and assess children's learning effectively and share their progress with parents. Staff identify emerging gaps quickly and work with parents to implement consistent strategies to support children's learning. Staff incorporate children's interests and home lives into activities to engage their attention. This helps children make good progress in their learning across the curriculum.
• Staff embed children's understanding and promote positive attitudes towards play and learning. For example, children eagerly join in with familiar actions and phrases from favourite stories. Children lead their own play and encourage their friends to join in. They make stickers together, which they excitedly distribute to staff and other children. Children are curious and competent learners.
• Children have daily access to fresh air and enjoy their outside play times. Staff support them to climb the large equipment, ride scooters and throw and kick a ball. This helps to support their physical development and overall well-being.
• Staff understand how to sequence children's learning well. Children build their social and self-care skills as they work towards their move on to school. Pre-school children serve their own lunch, choose from a breakfast menu and chat sociably around the table at mealtimes. Children learn key life skills.
• Leaders and senior staff have a good understanding of their role in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work with a range of external agencies to ensure children have the support they need. Staff work hard to help children with SEND make progress from their individual starting points.
• Staff provide effective support for children who speak English as an additional language. They learn key words in children's home languages. Staff also teach these key words to other children to support their communication with one another. As a result, children make good progress across the curriculum and in learning language skills.
• Staff support children to understand how they are each unique. For instance, activities, such as making play dough faces, include resources in different colours and shades to represent all children. Parents are invited in to read to children in their home languages. Children begin to appreciate our diverse world.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the focus on individual staff's personal and professional development to have greater impact on children.