North Duffield Under Fives

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this welcoming setting and build strong bonds with the nurturing and supportive staff. Babies settle quickly, and staff make use of care routines as valuable opportunities for warm and responsive interactions. For example, during nappy changes, staff talk gently to children and sing songs. This helps children feel emotionally secure.

Leaders and staff plan the environment thoughtfully to help children learn new skills. They provide a wide range of exciting play opportunities so that children are motivated to learn. Babies explore sensory play as they stomp on small animals in crispy cereal using their senses to investigate different sounds, textures and objects. Toddlers are excited as they dig in the soil for treasure in the outdoor area. Older children experiment with colour mixing during a painting activity. They tell staff and visitors that when they mix blue and yellow paint together, they make green. These activities nurture children's natural curiosity and help them fully engage in their learning. Children make good progress across all areas of development.

Staff are positive role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children listen to staff and understand what is expected of them. They are supported to share and take turns from a young age, and they are praised highly when they do this.

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

• Since the last inspection, leaders and staff have ensured that actions raised have been addressed. This means relevant suitability checks have been completed on all adults involved with the setting and there are clearly defined roles and responsibilities. There are several new staff in post who have integrated very well into the staff team. This means that children's safety and well-being are promoted effectively.
• Leaders and staff create a child-focused curriculum that meets the needs and interests of each age group. Staff plan activities in a clear sequence to support key stages of development. They organise the environment so babies can practise crawling before pulling themselves up during play and cruising around the furniture, supporting early walking skills. Toddlers and pre-school children build strength and coordination walking on balance beams. They enhance their own play as they add more difficult obstacles, such as sloping beams. These activities encourage movement and help children develop confidence in their own abilities, as well as a love of physical activity.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They promote a love of books and stories as they read to children. They encourage children to take a book to read at home from the lending library in the entrance hall. Staff use good quality interactions. They narrate on children's play and use effective questioning techniques. This promotes children's speech and language and helps them to share their thoughts and ideas.
• Children enjoy taking part in group activities. Young children learn about their feelings and begin to label their emotions. This helps them to understand how they and their friends are affected by their actions. Older children colour match and learn about light and dark shades of colours. During mixed-age group activities, children use their senses to consider how the noise of dropping conkers on a hard surface could sound like thunder. However, at times, group activities are not organised effectively enough. Some children do not benefit from interactions that are as meaningful and are therefore not fully engaged. This affects their learning experience.
• Working in partnership with parents is a strength of the setting. Parents speak very highly about the quality of care and the learning experiences their children receive. Parents value the support staff give to them in any situation. Parents say that leaders have high expectations for the development of the setting, and they have seen positive changes since the last inspection.
• Staff support children's developing independence in all situations. Older children manage their own toileting needs, understand about good hygiene practices and put on their own coats and boots for outdoor play. The introduction of low tables and chairs and a secure understanding of safer food guidelines means staff provide good supervision for the youngest children who are learning to feed themselves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the delivery of group times, including the organisation of group activities, to ensure they meet the needs of all children.