Minnie Me Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting happily and separate from their carers with ease. They become fully engrossed in the activities on offer. Children are close to their key person and seek them out for comfort and support. Babies explore their environment with confidence. They clap with delight as they feel the texture of jelly in messy-play activities. They are supported by staff who encourage their language development and emotional well-being. Babies were seen gazing into carers' eyes as they fed, and are sung to by staff, who stroke their head sensitively for extra security and comfort. Staff also get to know the older children well and use this knowledge to capture children's interest and engage them in learning.

Children behave well across the setting. Staff consistently praise children for their efforts, achievements and positive behaviours. Children develop high levels of self-esteem, as well as positive attitudes to learning. Staff understand and consistently use the positive behaviour strategies leaders have put in place. Staff have high expectations for all children. They promote independence through a thoughtful curriculum. This means children thrive as they develop skills for the future. Leaders have given thought to teaching young children to feed themselves, working from using a small plastic spoon up to a metal knife and fork. Children are helped to develop independence when toileting. A considered progression leads to them managing their own care needs.

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

• Leaders understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's learning and development. They have adapted the curriculum to meet children's needs, focusing on language and emotional health. Parents shared that they have seen improvements in their child's speech after interventions that staff put in place. This means that children are doing well at the setting in catching up from the impact of the pandemic.
• The manager and staff have ambitious expectations for all children. They support children with additional needs well. They work alongside other professionals, such as health visitors involved in children's care and learning. This means that children are well supported in the small steps needed to make progress.
• Parents share information about their children's development and interests when their children first start. Staff use and update this regularly to plan for what children need to learn next. They analyse what children already know and can do and plan from this information. As a result, all children make consistently good progress from their starting points.
• Staff develop children's love of and interest in books. They build literacy into daily routines. Children enjoy looking at books independently and being read to by staff throughout the day.
• Staff have a good understanding of the curriculum and how children learn. They weave mathematics into play both inside and outdoors. This means children are building confidence in numeracy over time. Babies were observed singing number songs while mathematics was seamlessly incorporated outside with more-complex songs. Children enjoy opportunities to investigate sizes while counting in the sandpit.
• Staff provide a wide range of interesting activities and resources, which engage most children. However, occasionally, the most-able children lose interest because what is on offer is too easy and does not offer them opportunities to extend their knowledge and develop their skills.
• Staff work with parents to understand what might affect children's emotions and behaviour. This supports staff to provide individual care for children. Staff support children to understand difficult emotions, offering comfort and reassurance. Furthermore, they reassure them and help them to build the language they need to express their feelings. This is supported by leaders, who use funding appropriately, for example, to pay for additional staff to support this one-to-one time.
• Leaders are supportive of staff. As a result, new staff settle quickly into their role and form good relationships with children and parents. All staff report that they are happy and feel well supported. Staff access a variety of training to improve their practice and outcomes for children. There is, however, some confusion about who the named deputy is, although this is not having a negative impact on the care and learning provided for children.
• Staff ensure that mealtimes are social occasions. Children sit together at tables. They are supported by staff to develop conversation skills with friends, often talking about new foods. Children are offered a range of healthy meals. These are prepared by the setting's dedicated cook, who has a good understanding of nutrition and allergies.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to provide more-challenging opportunities for the most-able children
• provide clarity about who holds responsibilities in the nursery, for example the role of deputy manager.