Pehla Qadam Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery and happily leave their parents at the door. They quickly settle with their chosen activity. Children demonstrate kindness. For example, they readily offer chairs to visitors and hold doors open for them. All children are learning to do things for themselves. Older babies recognise when it is tidy-up time and are keen to help staff put resources away. Pre-school children take turns serving themselves lunch and pouring their drinks. They helpfully clear away their dirty plates and cutlery ready for dessert. This supports children's growing independence skills.

Children enjoy outdoor play. Older babies show curiosity as they dig in the garden and water the plants. Staff introduce vocabulary, such as 'roots' and 'growing', as babies eagerly explore what is under the soil. Toddlers develop their coordination skills. For example, they are supported by staff to sit opposite each other and gently roll a ball back and forth. Pre-school children use their muscles as they kick footballs, ride tricycles, and safely climb a climbing frame. Children are learning to cooperate with their friends and excitedly work together to create their own games. They carefully consider the best places to hide colourful plastic numbers, so the other children can find them.

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

• The provider has taken a proactive approach in response to the last inspection. Staff and managers have undertaken training to gain a robust understanding of safeguarding, including the 'Prevent' duty guidance. In addition, managers have revised their curriculum. This has supported staff to provide quality learning opportunities for all children.
• Staff are good role models and encourage children to share and be respectful of others. For example, pre-school children take part in a baking activity. Children are supported to take turns as they pour ingredients into a bowl and stir the mixture. In addition, when children have minor disputes with others during their play, staff gently comfort them. Staff suggest ideas to children as to how they could make friends again.
• Overall, staff ensure daily routines are well organised and support children to learn. However, on occasion, children's learning is interrupted. For example, when children are fully engaged with an activity, they are not always prepared or given time to complete what they are doing before staff ask them to tidy away or to get ready to go outside.
• Staff ensure children get plenty of opportunities to practise their small-muscle skills. For example, babies confidently dip their fingers in paint to create colourful finger paintings, while toddlers use different-sized brushes to paint lines and swirls. Pre-school children use chalk to make small circles on the chalkboard. They proudly show staff how many they have drawn. This supports children to develop the muscles they need for early writing.
• Generally, staff interact well with children. They engage in children's play, show an interest in what they are doing and encourage even the youngest children to make their own choices. However, staff do not always recognise when quieter children would benefit from their interaction. To this end, quieter children are occasionally unsure about what to do with an activity and do not always get the opportunity to share their thoughts.
• Staff embed mathematical learning into all children's play. For example, pre-school children name the colours of pegs. Staff support them to count the pegs, as they carefully fit them into wooden blocks. Babies focus as they line up animals. Staff help them to compare the sizes of the animals and use words, such as 'big' and 'small'. Toddlers enjoy playing with a large piece of material. Staff support them to hold the corners as they flap the material up and down. Children follow instructions as staff say, 'go high' and 'go low'.
• Staff work together with parents to develop children's next steps and regularly share updates on their progress. However, on occasion, when children transition to other rooms, specific details are not always passed on to colleagues. This means staff are not clear on how long support strategies have been in place.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure staff prepare children for changes in the daily routine, particularly so they have time to finish their play before being requested to start a new activity
• support staff to provide consistent and high-quality interactions with quieter, less confident children to further extend their learning
• strengthen the arrangements to share information between staff when children transition into new rooms.