PATA @ Penguins

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a safe, inclusive and secure environment for all children so they can learn and flourish. There is a strong focus by leaders to build effective links with families and to establish a sense of community. Staff know how to nurture children's sense of belonging and offer consistent support, including for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This ensures that every child is seen, heard and understood.

The curriculum is child centred and focuses on children's current interests. Leaders have a clear vision of what they want children to learn. They ensure that the curriculum reflects the diverse needs of all children who attend. Consequently, children make good progress from their initial starting points and are gaining the skills they need for the next stage of their learning.

The provision for children with SEND is strong. Leaders and key persons have a clear understanding of children's individual needs. They work closely with parents and external professionals to ensure that children get early help, such as through targeted plans and intervention. Staff support children to recognise and regulate their own feelings and emotions. As a result, children are learning how their behaviour may impact on others, and they show kindness and respect to their peers and adults.

Parents are happy with the progress their children are making. They comment about the positive improvements they have seen in their children's social skills and language development, particularly since COVID-19. Parents state that staff go 'above and beyond' to ensure that their children settle in with ease, feel secure and are happy. There is a good flow of information-sharing between parents and staff, including the use of daily diaries, parent consultation meetings and termly newsletters.

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

• Staff have a good overview of children's learning needs. They undertake termly reviews and use this information to identify children's next steps in learning. Key persons also share focus sheets with parents to gather information about children's specific interests and any special events outside of the setting. However, although staff identify children's next steps in learning, they do not always consider these when planning some adult-led activities to further strengthen children's learning opportunities.
• Staff create a rich language environment and know how to role model language effectively. They introduce new words during activities to help children think critically and articulate their ideas. For example, during a food tasting activity linked to Chinese New Year, staff used open-ended questions to encourage children to describe the texture, taste and smell of the noodles and rice. This led to children engaging in meaningful discussions with staff and making links to real-life experiences.
• Older children have good opportunities to develop their early literacy skills. For example, staff introduce phonics so that pre-school children learn to recognise the initial sounds of their name. Additionally, staff foster children's love of books from an early age. This includes introducing a set of core favourite stories for a period of time. This helps children to learn and retell the stories and develop their vocabulary.
• Children benefit from rich cultural experiences to broaden their understanding of other people and communities. For example, staff organise activities for children in the local community, such as a 'penguin parade' where parents are encouraged to join in. Staff also celebrate the diverse languages and cultures of the children. For example, staff sing songs in Welsh and celebrate St David's day to reflect the children who live on the Welsh border.
• Staff place a strong focus on promoting healthy lifestyles. Key persons provide detailed information to parents about nutritional food choices to promote healthy lunch boxes. Staff also invite the dentist to talk to children about the importance of good oral health. Children benefit from regular physical exercise, including walks to the local library and woodland trails.
• Staff make their behaviour expectations clear and remind children about the setting's rules, such as using their 'listening ears'. Staff consider the needs of all children, including those with SEND, to ensure that communication is clear. For instance, they promote the use of now-and-next visual timetables, sign language and non-verbal cues. Staff have also attended additional training on behaviour management to support the needs of their individual children.
• Leaders are ambitious and reflective. Following a recent risk assessment, they have been proactive in making changes to further improve the security of the premises, including how they deploy staff. Staff comment that they are very happy with the consistent support they receive from leaders. This includes opportunities for regular supervision, ongoing training, and support for their mental well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the planning of adult-led activities so they are appropriately ambitious for all children and reflect the intended curriculum.