N Family Club Cambridge

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this warm and nurturing setting. They build strong attachments with staff that know them extremely well. Leaders have implemented an effective key-person and buddy system that helps to ensure children feel safe and develop extended relationships. Children leave parents and carers with ease and eagerly explore the wide range of stimulating experiences staff plan. For instance, babies enjoy a rich array of sensory activities, such as wet sand, foam and dough. Older children benefit from interactive story times. Staff narrate the story of 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', and children act out the scenes using a range of sensory materials as props. Children thoroughly enjoy these experiences and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.

Children behave well and benefit from the excellent role modelling of staff. There is a strong emphasis on supporting children's emotional well-being. Children are supported to understand their feelings through well-planned activities. For instance, younger children explore facial expressions that staff label while older children discuss further what causes them to express these different feelings.

Children learn about the world around them through a variety of experiences staff plan. For instance, parents and grandparents visit the setting to discuss their travels, occupations and to share their different cultures and celebrations with the children. This helps children to develop a greater understanding of similarities and differences and what makes them unique.

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

• Leaders and managers are passionate about the provision. They talk about the impact of recent training and how this has supported staff with their practice. Staff's morale is extremely high, and they work well as a team. Staff say they feel valued and are supported to develop their professional development. Staff's achievements are recognised and celebrated through award events. In addition, in-house social events are planned to further promote the positive staff relations.
• Partnerships with parents are excellent. Leaders work tirelessly in their commitment to build a community with parents and families attending the provision. For instance, a relaxed and welcoming area is provided for parents, where they are able to access a large library of resources for support. Parent and baby sessions have been established, and access to training is extended to parents, such as paediatric first aid. Parents speak highly about the care and support staff provide and the excellent progress their children make.
• Staff have a thorough knowledge of child protection and the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child. Children are taught how to assess the risk of play areas. They thoroughly enjoy being part of the 'safety squad' and having responsibility for health and safety tasks. This helps to raise children's awareness of risks in the environment and supports them to keep themselves from harm.
• Staff promote children's love of books from an early age. All children are introduced to a focus story, and they sit and listen intently to staff as they read. Leaders have created an extensive library of books, which children can take home. From a young age, children learn to handle books with care. Staff and children demonstrate good listening as children choose books independently and retell stories from the illustrations.
• Babies enjoy a caring, homely environment. Staff are extremely responsive to their needs. They engage their curiosity as they demonstrate how to explore the wide range of sensory experiences. Babies enjoy the playful interactions staff provide. They giggle with delight as they eagerly await the time to knock down their towers as staff count 'one, two, three'.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They plan a wide range of play opportunities to build on children's listening and attention skills. Staff introduce language as they enter discussions with children. They begin to use words such as 'investigating' as they explore ice. However, on occasion, staff do not consider how to use effective questions to build on children's existing knowledge and further extend their thinking and language skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the use of effective questioning techniques to further enhance children's thinking and communication skills.