N Family Club Godalming

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provider creates an extremely nurturing and welcoming environment for children and their families. This helps children to settle well and feel safe and secure. Staff know each child and their family extremely well and use this information to tailor the care and learning that children receive. Children develop warm, trusting relationships with key staff. This helps all children, including young babies, to become confident and independent in their play and learning. Children take part in a well-planned range of activities, tailored to their particular learning needs. They experience awe and wonder in the world around them. Young babies are cared for by highly skilled and experienced staff who understand the importance of supporting children's developing communication and language skills. For example, staff make animal noises and sing rhymes as babies explore animal figures. Staff are incredibly enthusiastic, highly imaginative and creative. Babies remain highly engrossed and captivated in play experiences. They appeal for more and clap with delight at staff's interactions.

Children enjoy spending time with their friends outdoors each day. During children's play and learning, staff talk with children about what they can see. This adds to children's understanding of the world around them and develops their thinking and speaking skills effectively. For example, when toddlers hear construction noises outside, staff ask them to think about what kinds of equipment might be responsible for making them. When older children pose questions about the different kinds of trees and wildlife in the garden, staff suggest that they all do research together to find the answers. Leaders seek extra funding promptly to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive any additional support they require. All children make good progress and are supported to develop the skills and knowledge required to start school.

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

• The manager is a strong leader and there is a clear and ambitious curriculum in place for all children. Leaders support staff to make effective decisions about the best way to teach different skills to children. They identify which skills are best taught through more-structured activities and which can be best supported as children play independently. Overall, the curriculum is delivered very well.
• Staff understand the importance of stories and songs in supporting children's language development. They lead singing and story times several times a day. Children develop a love of books, often bringing them to staff to read or sitting alone looking at familiar pictures. For example, toddlers turn the pages of 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' and kick out their legs as they act out marching through the grass. They point at the picture and say, 'Bear, there, uh-oh.'
• Children develop good levels of independence. Staff make good use of daily routines to teach children to keep themselves safe and about being healthy. For instance, children are taught to put on their sun hats and sun cream before going to play outside. Older children take pride in being part of the children's council and voting for changes they want in their environment. They voted for new seating to be added to the water station in the garden. This helps them learn about democracy and promotes their overall health and well-being.
• Children are developing well into curious and inquisitive learners. Staff note children's emerging interests and imaginatively plan how these can be used to broaden children's knowledge. For example, after hearing children's comments about the European football competition, staff planned activities to teach children about different countries, cultures and climates.
• Staff want the best for all children. They remain calm and are kind to children. However, not all staff are consistent in the strategies used to help children understand what is expected of them. This does not fully support children to recognise and manage their feelings, or to develop an understanding of the impact that their behaviour can have on others. Therefore, at times, unwanted behaviours and minor disputes reoccur.
• Staff make all families and children feel valued and respected. Children have lots of opportunities to share their different life experiences. Staff celebrate everything that makes each child unique. They encourage children to observe differences, such as eye and hair colour, and talk about how these make them unique. Children learn about the many different ways people live and to respect the similarities and differences between themselves and others.
• Leaders are committed to continually raising the quality of the provision. The well-established staff team works well together and morale is high. There are systems for providing staff with supervision and feedback on their personal effectiveness. Leaders recognise and prioritise staff's continuing professional development and understand the impact this has on the outcome for children's educational and care experiences.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently help children to understand the behaviour expectations and the potential impact of their behaviour on themselves and others.