New Ark Play Association

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are confident, articulate and friendly. They enjoy participating in a wide range of activities available to them at this unique provision. For example, they learn about animal care at the on-site farm, nature and exploration at the eco-centre and managing risks on play equipment in the extensive outdoor area. Parents also appreciate how much these activities benefit all aspects of their children's development.

Children show confidence and familiarity with the new routines put in place to promote their safety and welfare during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Although their parents are unable to come into the setting itself, children are confident to leave their parents at the door. They walk straight in to wash their hands before choosing the activities they wish to take part in.

Children regulate their own behaviour and manage risks well. They learn to take turns and to consider others, for example, as they offer another child the bubble wand unprompted. A child points to the 'table manners' poster and tells a member of staff that he cannot talk with his mouth full when she asks him a question. Children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning, which will support them well when they move on to school. They are eager to interact with each other and adults. Consequently, they develop their communication and language skills well.

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

• Staff have a clear knowledge about what each child can do and what they need to learn next. The curriculum is planned so that each child enjoys rich learning opportunities and makes good progress in their learning and development. This is testified by parents.
• Overall, staff are clear about what they want children to learn during activities. Staff listen to children and follow their lead during activities. They give children confidence, for example, to finish the song that they start to sing. However, sometimes, staff do not make the best use of spontaneous opportunities to promote children's learning.
• Staff respect children's feelings, voices and choices. They are flexible in their approach to the day, dependent on the children's wishes. For example, when children say that they do not want snack at the moment because they are engrossed in a bat and ball game, staff respect this.
• The manager is sensitive to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic may have had on the children, their families and staff. During the last year, staff have remained in close contact with parents and children using a variety of methods. The continued well-being of staff is given a high priority.
• It is clear that where children receive specific funding, this is being used to benefit their individual needs, such as extra sessions or resources to support home learning. Staff work well together as a team. Training is prioritised to focus on further increasing staff's knowledge.
• Children think critically, for example, as they make amendments to their dough model so that the imaginary driver can see out of the car windscreen. Children enjoy playing and exploring. For example, they build a model fire truck from small bricks. They use a toy screwdriver to turn screws and demonstrate how the wheels turn round to create motion. Children show an increasing confidence in number recognition, for example, as they refer to picture instructions to construct models in a specific sequence.
• Staff accurately reflect on the strongest areas of the curriculum and those areas needing more focus to enhance opportunities for children. For example, they recognise that there is more that they can do to promote children's ability to enjoy looking at books independently. There are clear plans to further develop this aspect of the curriculum.
• Children show good physical skills as they navigate the obstacle course outside. They are able to balance on wooden blocks, climb, slide, and jump a given number of times on the small trampoline. Staff effectively support those children who require extra support. They work well with parents and other professionals to ensure that children fulfil their potential.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to identify and effectively use more spontaneous opportunities to further challenge older, more-capable children and to help children consolidate skills that staff have already identified as needing further development.