Northern Performance Academy & Performatots

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed into this wonderfully inviting and stimulating environment. Experienced and highly qualified staff carefully consider and choose the type of resources and experiences that are presented to children. Children show high levels of curiosity and a sense of wonder in their learning. For example, during a unique birthday walk children sing and celebrate the earth revolving around the sun for each year of a child's birth. They celebrate the life of the child, as children and staff offer words of thanks and best wishes. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

Children develop their emotional literacy through speech and drama classes in their wonderful theatre. Specialist drama teachers support children to identify feelings using coloured scarves. Children use a red scarf to depict an angry emotion. They skilfully use their words to explain their feelings. A child places a calm coloured scarf around the child and says, 'I'll protect you.' Children learn to understand their emotions and develop a positive mental attitude.

Children benefit from staff who are exceptional role models and are passionate about the care and learning they provide. Children learn excellent manners, take turns and show respect for each other's feelings. They demonstrate a caring nature as they look after Betsy Bunny in their outdoor area. As a result, children's behaviour is exemplary.

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

• The highly qualified staff team have high expectations and work tirelessly to ensure children have the knowledge and skills to be confident learners. The arts inspired curriculum encourages children to be creative, to develop their imagination and critical thinking and give them the language skills to express their feelings, needs and wants.
• Children learn exceptional speech and language skills. This is embedded in all activities provided for the children. For example, during music and dance children use 'forte' and 'piano' to describe the sounds of their music. As they stretch the dough, they explain this is because of the gluten in the flour. Children make excellent progress in their communication and language development, including those who speak English as an additional language.
• Children demonstrate their understanding of mathematics. Children show good problem-solving skills as they decide to add more or less flour and water to their play dough mixture until the consistency is how they want it.
• In the learning kitchen, children are taught how to prepare fresh food and use tools safely. They learn the importance of good hygiene, healthy food and making good choices. For example, children carefully use knives under supervision. They remove the seeds from the peppers before chopping them up with the courgettes to make a pasta sauce for lunch.
• Children show tremendous levels of independence. This is evident at lunchtime in the setting's wonderful bistro. Children wash their hands before choosing where to sit. Children serve themselves their pasta that children helped prepare earlier. They pour their own drinks and add cheese to their pasta. They thoughtfully help their friends. Children are superbly prepared for their next stage in learning.
• Children are taught the importance of keeping themselves safe. They learn to look and assess an activity and implement learned safety procedures. For example, all children take part in a fire safety week and are able to demonstrate important life saving skills, such as drop and roll. They transition around the vast building with ease as they sing a song which reminds them how to do this safely. As a result, children learn the skills and knowledge to keep themselves safe.
• Management and staff are inspirational in their vision for providing children with exceptional and unique learning experiences. They are dedicated in developing the skills and knowledge of all staff to ensure the best outcomes for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Partnership with parents is exceptional. Staff provide parents with the skills and knowledge to continue and extend their child's learning and development at home. Workshops and events are held that help parents understand how children learn. For example, pyjama story time focused on the importance of reading stories together, introduce new words and develop a love of story telling. Parents describe the work the inspirational staff provide them and their children as 'mind blowing'.