Nipperbout At The Brighton Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive and are warmly greeted by the staff. They demonstrate that they feel safe as they confidently separate from their parents and eagerly enter the setting, knowing that they are going to have fun. Children choose activities from the well-organised environment and thoroughly enjoy the broad range of experiences that staff provide.

Children are confident to communicate their thoughts and ideas and staff are skilled at listening to children's needs and wants. For example, leaders recognise that some children suffer from heightened anxiety as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, staff have undertaken additional training so that they can help alleviate this anxiety.

Children play well together and behave well. They understand the boundaries and they know what is expected of them. Children become absorbed in activities and confidently problem-solve as they find alternative pots to move lentils from one place to another. They experiment to find which pot will take the largest quantity. Consequently, children are persevering to test out their play ideas.

Older children very confidently help nurture the younger children. For instance, they help them to put a ball through a high hoop and clap and cheer for them when they are successful. This gives children a sense of pride and boosts their self-esteem.

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

• Staff get to know children's individual characters very well. They gather information from parents and carers before the crèche begins and children are encouraged to share their ideas with the staff. This helps staff to plan activities that ensure that children feel valued and listened to, and thoroughly enjoy their play.
• Leaders and staff evaluate their practice effectively. For example, they hold meetings at the end of every day to discuss what the children have enjoyed and discuss areas where their practice can improve. Staff use these ideas to ensure that individual children are planned for effectively, especially those children who need additional support.
• Children develop a good range of physical skills. For example, they throw balls and enjoy archery, karate and dancing to music. Staff encourage children to adopt healthy practices. For instance, children wash their hands before eating and enjoy a healthy range of snacks, including apples, breadsticks and oranges. However, during routines such as snack times, children are not supported to do things for themselves. This means that opportunities for children to develop their independence skills are overlooked.
• Staff very skilfully extend children's learning. For example, during a planned rhyming activity, staff quickly adapt their approach to include children's favourite games. As a result, children are learning through their play as they are more attentive to the subject being taught.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) extremely well. The manager and the special educational needs coordinator ensure that detailed information is gathered from parents and carers so that children with SEND can successfully engage with the activities that are on offer.
• Parents mention that they are extremely happy at the quality of care and education that their children receive. They appreciate the amount of information that they are given prior to their children starting at the crèche because this helps them to have discussions with their children about what to expect when they attend. One parent mentioned that the support given to their child with SEND was exceptional.
• Staff use every opportunity to promote children's self-esteem and confidence. They celebrate children's achievements during an award ceremony and children beam with pride as staff and their peers clap and cheer for them. Leaders are passionate about supporting children's emotional health. For example, they encourage children to openly talk about their feelings and recognise their emotions. As a result, children feel valued and listened to.
• Staff support children's emerging language skills very effectively, particularly those children who need additional support in this area. Staff model the correct pronunciation and give children time to respond; 'b b ball', they proudly repeat. Parents mention that their children are using new words in the short time that they have attended the crèche.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• maximise opportunities for children to develop their independence skills.