Nursery Rhymes

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive with beaming smiles to a warm welcome from staff at this rural setting. Babies reach out for staff and snuggle in for cuddles when leaving parents. Relationships are warm, open and caring. Children demonstrate that they feel loved, safe and respected through these reciprocal interactions. This has a positive impact on their behaviour and emotional well-being. Children learn how to be kind to animals and living things. When a child picks up a worm, staff explain that the worm is all curled up in his hand because he is frightened, and say, 'If you stroke him gently, he will uncurl and stretch out'. The child gently strokes the worm, which unfurls in his palm.

Staff plan and provide activities that reflect children's interests. They capture moments of learning and react to children's spontaneous comments. A child remarks that, 'It's been a massive storm outside'. Staff create a representation of a storm in a large crate. They fill it with water and cover it in foam to represent the stormy skies. Children are given pipettes which they squeeze into the foam. As paint trickles through the 'cloud' it disperses, colouring the water beneath. They explain that weight of the paint is heavier so it sinks to the bottom and leaves a trail in its wake. Once the water is saturated with blue dye, children add red paint and say, 'Wow, it's a massive volcano'. They splatter the foam, giggling with glee as the volcano 'erupts'. Staff expertly support children, facilitating play and building on what they know.

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

• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are skilfully supported. They make good progress. The setting takes swift action to provide intervention at the earliest opportunity. Staff understand and support the needs of individual children well. For example, they use board games to develop cooperative play. Staff use these sessions to support children who are uncomfortable in large groups. They recognise how well children learn from their peers.
• Partnership with parents is a strength. Staff provide daily updates about care-giving procedures and children's interests. They explain how learning can be supported at home. This helps to provide continuity in children's learning and assists their progress. The setting continues to develop innovative ways to communicate with parents.
• Children benefit from a language-rich environment that builds on their communication skills. Staff consistently introduce new vocabulary during play. They ensure children understand what it means by providing context. Older children are introduced to letters and sounds. For example, they play alliteration games to build on children's phonological awareness. However, staff do not always pronounce initial sounds accurately.
• Children learn how to keep themselves healthy. During mealtimes, they socialise with staff and each other. Children sit quietly at the table, use cutlery and remember to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Babies are encouraged to use fingers and spoons to feed themselves. Children remember to use a tissue to wipe their nose and put it in the bin. Then they wash their hands.
• Children behave well at this setting. Older children demonstrate this by reminding others to 'cross your legs when you sit on the carpet'. Staff identify and praise positive behaviour. Children comment that their favourite thing is 'a smiley face and a big thumbs up'.
• Staff appreciate how valued leaders make them feel. Leaders have put steps in place to ensure staff well-being is supported. Leaders have developed a strong, inclusive curriculum that builds on what children already know and is based on children's interests. The mathematics curriculum is a strength throughout the setting.
• Younger children enjoy stories, repeating and anticipating key phrases. However, on occasions, staff can make decisions that can interrupt play and learning. During story time, staff sometimes remove children to wash their hands. On occasions, children are left to wait needlessly while staff attend to external tasks. Leaders have identified some of these issues and have drawn up an action plan. However, they are yet to implement them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further review the organisation of the toddler room to ensure a well-planned learning environment
• implement existing action plans in a more timely manner to maximise children's learning
• support staff to model the correct pronunciation of letter sounds to children, to further support early reading skills.