Mojo 6

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settle extremely well. They are greeted safely at the gate by the friendly, welcoming staff. Staff follow children's interests and build activities around the children. Staff have realised that some resources do not work for children, so they have adapted the environment around resources that children are familiar with from their home life. This supports the children to be more settled and secure.

The leader has a clear intent for what they want the children to achieve. They want children to be ready for the next stage of their transition to nursery school. Children's independence is well promoted. For example, children independently serve their own snack and pour their own drinks. Staff use snack times as a social occasion to talk with children about their home life. This supports children's language and social skills.

Children are well behaved. They are caring towards each other and share well with their peers. Staff develop positive interactions with the children. They demonstrate to the children how they should manage their behaviour, and they encourage children to use their manners.

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

• The setting is based on a school site, and the manager has built up a strong relationship with the school. The manager is proactive in discussing the care and development needs of the children with the nursery teacher so they can plan how to support the children. They have mirrored how the nursery school assess children's learning so that parents are aware of this and can have more of an input into their children's education. This provides a smooth transition for children and their families, ensuring they feel well supported as they move into a new environment in the nursery school.
• Maths is well embedded. Staff introduce counting and mathematical concepts into children's play. Children are encouraged to join in and demonstrate their own understanding. They play with staff, fixing cars with tools and using positional language to explore what they will fix next.
• Parents express how well their children have settled and are aware of their child's key person. They state communication is strong and they are always told what their children have been doing while in the setting. However, the setting does not yet provide support for parents to further develop their children's learning at home. The leader has discussed how she wants to expand on this, but this has not yet been implemented.
• Children have continuous access to the outdoor provision. They are excited to play in this area and can be found giggling and laughing with staff while they are kicking footballs around the area. The staff have worked hard to provide a purposeful, well-thought-out area for the children that promotes all areas of the children's development in this outdoor space.
• Staff develop children's language skills through meaningful conversations and by exploring the children's interests in activities. However, there are times when some staff ask too many questions and do not give children enough time to respond. Also, some of these questions are not open enough to give children the opportunity to explain their understanding. This means they do not consistently support children's speaking skills.
• The leader has an extensive knowledge of the community she supports and aims to provide a wide range of experiences that support the essential knowledge children need to develop. For example, they provide trips out with the children and their families to the local area, including zoos and theatres. This help supports parent partnership and the bonds between the children and their parents. It also has a positive impact on children's understanding of the world around them.
• Children's learning is well supported, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are clear on the next steps children need to achieve and the targets that have been set. Staff put plans in place to support children while waiting for referrals for extra support to be completed, and they work closely with parents. The setting operates on a higher than required adult-to-child ratio. Leaders explain that this is to support children with SEND but is also to make sure the development of other children is well supported.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to strengthen parent partnerships by providing parents with ideas and suggestions to help them to support further children's ongoing learning and development at home
• enhance staff's knowledge of children's language and communication development so that children are provided with time and opportunities to think critically.