Pant Pandas Childcare Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in the care of the nurturing staff and gain an excellent start to their education. They embrace fully the high-quality experiences provided by staff and are self-motivated to extend their knowledge and skills. All children develop a can-do attitude and the desire to solve problems for themselves. They have enquiring minds and show inquisitiveness as they observe the behaviour of birds and donkeys. They ask questions like, 'Why does it rain?' Staff expertly help them to explore their own ideas and satisfy their natural curiosity. For example, they consistently ask children, 'What do you think?'

Children show ownership of their learning environment. They develop a sense of responsibility and respect for resources as they tidy them away. Children open cupboards to access the paint materials they plan to use and then organise the resources for themselves. They use descriptive language as they explain how they have 'peachy yellow' and check if this is the colour that their friends want to use.

Children strive to solve problems independently. Two-year-old children move jigsaw pieces around and then test out other pieces so they can complete the puzzle. Older children concentrate and show high levels of determination as they use their fingers to remove play dough that is stuck in a container with a narrow opening. Staff make timely interventions to provide children with options that will help them to achieve their aim.

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

• The manager is inspirational and displays a high level of professionalism as she leads the staff team. She has a high regard for staff's continual professional development and well-being. Staff receive precisely targeted support, which helps them to continually improve. In addition, the manager focuses on specific targets for the staff team to all work towards. They have recently been focusing on maximising opportunities to extend children's listening skills.
• The manager and staff are highly reflective and continually look for ways to enhance the children's learning experiences. They consider how children access the learning environment and identify how they can optimise their engagement. They have recently focused on making changes to how they organise the opportunities for children to use their mark-making skills. For example, they noticed that children prefer to write when they are in a kneeling position, so they adapted the furniture to reflect this.
• The manager uses her expert knowledge of how young children learn to design a curriculum that precisely reflects their developmental needs. She has mapped out the curriculum meticulously and with clear progression to support staff in their planning. She works closely with staff to ensure that the learning environment provides children with exceptional challenge. This, together with staff's expert teaching, results in children showing high levels of independent learning. All children make outstanding progress.
• The manager and staff monitor children's progress continually to ensure that their teaching specifically addresses children's current learning needs. They have excellent arrangements to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive targeted support. Staff are highly responsive to children's spontaneous play interests and maximise opportunities to help children build on what they know and can do. They use all aspects of the daily routine to ensure that they provide constant challenge to children.
• Staff support children's communication and language development expertly. Staff implement targeted support to help children accelerate their speaking and language skills. The manager's curriculum sets out clear aims to help children develop the language they need to communicate their feelings and articulate their thinking. For example, they focus on helping children to develop their listening skills so that they can tune in to the needs of their friends and listen to what they say. This supports children to resolve conflicts they have. Children understand their feelings and express these clearly, such as feeling happy, sad and calm. Their behaviour is exemplary.
• Children benefit from a wide range of experiences that help them to develop their awareness of diversity. Staff design the learning environment so that children can learn about the differences between themselves and others, such as their families. Staff help children to develop the confidence to express their views and to challenge others if they think something is unfair.
• Staff provide extensive opportunities for children to develop their independence. Children recognise when they are thirsty and pour their own drinks. They know that they must put the used cups in a separate pile to help reduce the spread of germs. Staff follow thorough procedures to support children's health.
• Parents highly recommend the nursery and state that they are fully supported by staff. Staff provide parents with comprehensive information about their children's progress and detailed updates about what they have planned to extend their knowledge and skills.