New Cross & Deptford Families First Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are highly valued by a caring, dedicated staff team. Staff form close, strong bonds with children who interact warmly with them. Staff help children to settle well, for example by carefully linking children's interests to activities. This helps children to feel motivated to learn and to enjoy activities.

The curriculum is varied and interesting, with good emphasis on effective use of outdoor space. For example, children skilfully climb up frames and balance steadily along planks. They practise throwing skills by aiming balls into nets. This helps to support children's physical development well. Staff help children to gain good mathematical skills. For instance, children observe different shapes in the environment and staff teach them shape names. Staff sing counting songs and rhymes with children, and encourage them to count objects as they play. Staff teach children good understanding of the world. For example, children collect items for recycling as staff teach them about the process. They plant flowers in the garden and staff teach children how things grow. Staff help children to gain understanding about difference, for instance, staff teach children about famous black inventors during black history month. They discuss and celebrate a range of special religious events, such as Hanukkah and Diwali. Children learn to share and to take turns well, for example they share outdoor toys and resources.

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

• Staff support children who have special educational needs very well They form very effective partnerships with other professionals to draw up individual learning plans to meet the needs of each child well. Staff carry out robust monitoring and reviews of children's progress to promote best outcomes for children.
• Children gain good communication, language and literacy skills. For instance, staff read popular stories to children and link this to activities, such as pretend play to re-enact the story. Staff provide focused group language sessions to give extra support for children, where needed.
• Staff have high expectations of children and manage their behaviour in positive ways. For example, staff share group rules with children and use a fair, calm and consistent approach to managing behaviour. Children behave well.
• Children learn to do things for themselves. For instance, they prepare their own fruit snacks and put away used crockery and cups. All children help to tidy away toys and resources when they have finished play.
• Staff support children's creative development well. For example, children make their own play dough and explore textures of different ingredients. They enjoy using chalk and paint to create pictures.
• Staff have very successful partnerships with parents. They offer highly effective ways for parents to support children's learning. For example, the manager offers workshops on areas such as behaviour management. Parents have access to a communication, language and literacy project that provides ideas and activities to support children's learning. Staff keep parents very well-informed of children's progress in effective and flexible ways.
• The manager provides good support to staff. She meets with them individually to review and support their work and offer suitable training, where needed. For instance, all staff attend training on different aspects of early years education which lead better outcomes in this area. The manager promotes staff wellbeing effectively. For example staff have one afternoon each week to plan and write up assessments on children.
• The manager evaluates the nursery and has clear goals for improvement. For example, she plans to continue to enhance the range of training courses for staff to promote best outcomes for children.
• Staff are vigilant regarding children's safety. They carry out thorough risk assessments throughout the nursery to help prevent accidents. The manager carries out a series of background checks on staff to ensure suitability for their roles.
• Staff provide children with nutritious snacks and fresh drinking water and teach children about the value of eating well. They ensure that children's packed lunches are stored appropriately.
• Staff have begun to teach children about oral hygiene. For example they have had an initial visit from a dentist to teach children how to keep their teeth and gums healthy. However, this area has not been fully developed to support children's understanding more fully.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop children's awareness of oral hygiene further.