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What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and are warmly greeted by friendly staff who chat to them about their interests and home life. This helps children to feel at home and settle quickly. Staff build strong relationships with children from the start. They give lots of cuddles and reassurance when children feel unsure, which supports children to feel safe and secure. Children develop good social skills. They play cooperatively with their friends and are confident to initiate conversations with each other and adults, including visitors.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Younger children learn to use their 'gentle hands' and 'listening ears', while some older children use a visual timetable to help them learn to follow simple routines. Children learn to share their views and resolve their conflicts with sensitive interactions from staff. Older children are motivated to explore resources and try out their own ideas. For example, they are curious about how glitter and water mix together and experiment with items that float and sink.

Leaders and managers are ambitious for children's learning. Children learn to be kind, become independent and to develop friendships which prepares them well for starting school. Staff plan monthly topics, such as 'My Body' to extend children's learning about themselves. Children further learn about their identity through planned international days and cultural celebrations.

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

• Children form secure relationships with staff. All children have an allocated key person who knows them well. Staff use children's interests to help them take part in new activities, such as adding dinosaurs to messy play activities. This helps children develop positive attitudes to their learning.
• Children behave extremely well and demonstrate high levels of control. Staff use strategies, such as a sand timer, to help children take turns and prepare for changes in the routine, such as tidy-up time.
• Staff identify next steps in children's development and have clear intentions for children's learning. They plan activities to help children build on what they can already do. There are occasions when planned teaching is not tailored enough to meet all children's individual learning needs. However, overall, this does not have a significant impact on children making good progress.
• Children develop confidence in their physical abilities. Older children practise manoeuvring bicycles around obstacles, which develops their special awareness, and younger children develop their small-muscle skills as they play with dry rice. Staff provide opportunities for them to develop their large muscles during visits at the local park and through additional music and dance classes.
• Staff teach children self-help skills, such as washing their hands and putting on their own coats. Older children learn how to safely use the stairs by holding the banister. The youngest children learn to feed themselves with cutlery. Staff encourage children to make choices throughout the day. For example, older children can serve themselves extra food at lunchtime if they are still hungry. This helps children learn to express their personal preferences and understand what makes them unique.
• Children develop good communication and language skills. Staff use their interactions with children to extend children's vocabulary. For example, they use words such as 'potions' and 'dehydrated'. Older children are interested in books and handle them with care. They comment on the pictures and, at times, recall the story. Younger children join in with songs and rhymes, which gives them confidence in using their emerging language skills.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) are supported well. Staff understand what their individual needs are and implement plans to support their development. They work closely with professionals to seek advice as required. Parents of children with SEND say they feel extremely well supported by knowledgeable staff.
• Parents speak highly of the staff team. They say staff are kind, caring and have good relationships with the children. Parents have high level of trust in the staff and enjoy hearing about what their children are learning about. Leaders and managers plan a wide range of social events, such as sports day, to build good relationships with families.
• Leaders and managers have developed a stable staff team which has a positive impact on parents and children. Staff feel well supported and have regular supervision sessions where they discuss their key children's needs as well as their own professional development and training needs. Leaders and managers are strong role models for the staff team.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further tailor planning and interactions to consistently support children's individual learning needs and extend their learning to an even higher level.