Mulberry Park Together For Twos

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive to a warm and friendly welcome. They settle easily and build trusting relationships with practitioners. Parents comment on the safe and secure environment. They appreciate the time practitioners take to talk with them. Parents leave feeling confident that their children are well cared for. Children quickly learn the routine. For instance, they select their photo to self-register. Activities capture children's interest. For example, they excitedly discover dinosaurs in straw. Paper and pencils are strategically placed around the setting to encourage mark making. Practitioners support children to take risks. Children confidently climb and slide on equipment. Children have various opportunities to develop their physical skills. Outside, they ride on trikes. Inside, they manipulate play dough to find hidden jewels. They beam with pride at their achievements.

Children are confident. They seek out practitioners for support and to share experiences. Younger children use gestures to communicate. They take practitioners' hands to lead them. Practitioners learn words in children's home language. This provides reassurance to children who speak English as an additional language.

Children are supported to follow the boundaries. They look for a practitioner before going into the garden. Practitioners gently reinforce social skills such as sharing. Their thoughtful approach helps children learn to manage their emotions.

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

• Senior leaders are extremely passionate about their provision. They consistently evaluate their practice and strive to meet the needs of the children and families. Regular supervision sessions check on practitioners' well-being. Leaders create a working environment where staff feel valued. Practitioners have access to the provider's training programme. This offers a continual opportunity to update their professional knowledge.
• Parents speak highly of the setting. They praise the supportive provision. Partnership with parents is strong. Practitioners provide ideas and resources, such as cards to encourage talking, to continue children's learning at home. Termly parents' meetings offer an insight into children's development. Daily communication provides a snapshot of their child's day.
• Leaders design a meaningful curriculum that builds on what children know. Planned activities enrich children's experiences, such as a visit from a petting farm. Leaders thoughtfully use early years pupil premium funding to promote children's skills and knowledge for their future lives. Experienced practitioners seize teaching opportunities. However, less-experienced practitioners' understanding is not so clear. For instance, they are not always aware of the wide range of effective strategies to support children's learning further.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make exceptional progress. The dedication of leaders and the programmes offered by the setting have a profound effect on the development of children with SEND. Access to additional funding provides opportunities to implement further support and resources. Parents report on the remarkable development their children make.
• Children are exposed to a language-rich environment. Practitioners promote thinking and introduce words. Children quickly learn and repeat these. For example, practitioners use words such as 'big', 'heavy' and 'lots' as children scoop and build with sand. Practitioners discuss the weather and seasons as children point to the sky. Children wait in anticipation when practitioners play 'What's in the box?' Practitioners praise children as they name the objects. Senior leaders implement early intervention programmes. This, along with communication classes for families, enhances the language development of all children.
• Strong partnerships are formed with professionals. Senior leaders work hard to ensure the support they seek from the local authority benefits the children. Links have been formed with local schools to support transitions, and checks for two-year-olds are shared with on-site health visitors.
• Practitioners actively encourage independence. Children learn good hygiene practices. They instinctively go to the sink when called to wash their hands. They serve their own fruit at snack time then clear their plates into the bin. An 'independence station' encourages children to wipe their nose. This supports their self-care. Practitioners consistently praise children's efforts. This boosts children's self-esteem and desire to achieve.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on all practitioners' knowledge to support their understanding of the curriculum to enable them to teach the skills they want children to learn.