Olivers Lodge - Newport

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in the busy environment, superbly supported by staff who know them well and devote every minute of the day to meeting their needs. Children are confident little learners. They guide much of their own play and learning and help each other to achieve their chosen tasks. Children are extremely kind and caring towards each other. Staff expertly support children's emotional well-being. They help them to understand and regulate their feelings through using a range of strategies. As a result, children are able to articulate themselves well and tell each other if there is anything upsetting them.

Staff have high expectations of the children and know their capabilities well. They ensure that activities and experiences are matched to what the children already know and can do. Staff effectively plan challenging activities to successfully enhance the children's learning even further. Managers and staff are extremely clear about the setting's curriculum and ensure that it is highly ambitious for every child. The curriculum aim is to empower children and to enable them to be responsible for their own learning and environment. Staff help children to become sociable young people who enjoy each other's company.

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

• The setting operates a pre-school and out-of-school facility on site. Well-trained and proficient managers lead each aspect of the provision to a very high standard. A support manager helps to oversee effective staff monitoring, recruitment of new staff and staff support at each of the settings linked to the company. Staff share their views about being superbly supported and feeling like they are part of an 'Oliver's Lodge family'. They speak about feeling valued and knowing that they are able to voice their opinions in a safe space.
• Parents speak extremely highly of the management, staff and provision for their children. They comment on the professionalism of managers and how settled and content their children are. Parents who have children with specific medical needs cannot praise the management and staff highly enough for the way in which they meet their children's needs and provide a fully inclusive provision for them to enjoy their experiences.
• Children's knowledge and skills are expertly enhanced through the wide and exciting range of activities they are able to participate in. For example, pre-school-age children regularly participate in forest-school activities. They learn about nature, develop an understanding of risks and lead some of their own learning. Children are very aware of safety rules and follow instructions well. Children learn how to count in different languages and have the opportunity to experience foods from different countries.
• Staff make excellent use of the local environment to further enhance children's learning experiences. They visit the shops to purchase buns, go for walks in the fields surrounding the setting to visit some alpacas and visit other places of interest such as the church.
• Children show respect for the environment and follow the nursery rules well. For example, they understand that when staff need their attention, they say a number rhyme and ask the children to look at them. Children respond and then listen attentively for the next instruction. Children follow familiar routines proficiently, such as waiting at a certain point in the field to form a circle and count all of those present before they enter the wooded area for their forest-school activities.
• Children attending the out-of-school provision and holiday club enjoy a range of experiences. Staff encourage them to input ideas and suggestions for themes and activities. They enjoy taking part in challenges, such as a 'bake off' competition to see who can make the best cake. Those who enjoy a game of football are able to use the surrounding field with staff to learn new footballing skills.
• Children's literacy and mathematical skills are superbly enhanced through a range of well-considered activities and resources. Children have opportunities to make marks with a wide range of materials, indoors and outdoors. They use their walks in the woods to collect resources to add to the mathematics corner, such as pine cones and feathers to count and weigh.