Miss Delaney's

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive confidently, waving goodbye to their parents and carers, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. Staff place great importance on nurturing children as individuals. As a result, children show that they feel valued. Staff are good role models and establish clear routines to help create a calm atmosphere. Staff encourage children to share and take turns so that they are respectful and kind. Children show consideration and have developed close friendships with each other.

Staff encourage children to develop their imaginations. Children celebrate together as they arrive dressed in their Halloween costumes and join in with the activities with enthusiasm. They mix and roll out dough, create shapes and decorate their Halloween biscuits. Staff introduce numbers into their play as children count objects and match these confidently to the corresponding number on the card.

Staff use every opportunity to reinforce language and extend and model vocabulary with children. Children confidently join in and retell stories with enthusiasm. They take part in activities that enable them to recognise the sounds letters make. Staff encourage children to discuss their ideas and share their thoughts; they listen to children's responses to extend their learning.

Staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are proactive in seeking early help for children when needed. Children show very high levels of emotional well-being. Staff provide tailored settling-in sessions for each child and there is a strong key-person approach.

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

• Children confidently serve themselves fruit at snack time. They pour drinks and help each other when their friends need a top up. Staff acknowledge this effort and encourage children to develop a sense of community. Children learn about respect and tolerance for others. They tidy away toys and resources together, ready for the next activity. They are learning about caring for their environment and each other.
• Staff plan activities based on children's interests, abilities and areas for development. There is a collaborative approach to developing the curriculum. The manager has made recent changes with her staff team to further support this aspect. This means that staff are clear about what they want children to learn next. They can focus their teaching effectively on supporting children's learning and continue to build on what children already know.
• Children receive good support as they get ready to move on to their next stage in learning. They are motivated to explore and investigate and show high levels of curiosity and concentration. However, the organisation of some adult-led activities and responses during children's spontaneous play could be further improved to ensure that all children remain focused and engaged.
• Children have plenty of opportunities to be active and explore the environment. The outdoor space is planned well to provide children with rich opportunities to develop their movement and balance. Children have great fun playing together with water sprays. Together, they practise filling and emptying the containers with staff who fully join in with the fun. Staff also organise exciting experiences with outings in the park and surrounding area, where they teach children to develop their knowledge and understanding of the natural world.
• Children are taught how to be safe and show that they understand this. En route to outings and their other setting, staff explain to children how risks can be minimised. They explain why it is good to wear high-visibility jackets and hold an adult's hand to ensure their safety.
• Leadership is strong. The manager and staff say they are well supported and feel that their voices are heard. The knowledgeable manager is dedicated to making sure the setting continually progresses. She leads an equally dedicated staff team. The manager spends time in each room supporting staff and children. She consistently observes staff interactions with children and offers constructive feedback to help improve teaching and to provide role modelling and support. This is highly valuable in establishing and reinforcing continuing professional development and well-being.
• Parents value the manager and her team highly. They appreciate the many ways that staff communicate with them about their children's progress. Parents comment on the individualised approach offered, such as how well their children's additional languages are included. They are so impressed with how happy their children are to attend each day.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen interactions with the children during their spontaneous play to further enhance their learning experiences
• review the organisation of large-group activities to ensure that all children are consistently well engaged.