Pitter Patter Playhouse

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children love attending this small and very friendly nursery. Staff are caring and build secure relationships with children and their families. Children enjoy a variety of activities and experiences that support their learning and development. Staff cater to babies and young children's individual routines very well. The indoor environment is enhanced with photographs of family members, fairy lights and hanging twig mobiles to provide a homely and calm atmosphere. Staff support children to learn to share and to play happily together. They remind children to take extra care when babies are close by. Children show high levels of respect for one another, and their behaviour is very good.

Outdoor play is an integral part of children's experiences. They thoroughly enjoy their time in the well-designed garden. Children develop their physical skills and confidence as they climb up a ladder to the 'tree house' and excitedly use the slide down. Staff provide very good guidance to help children decide where to place wooden planks across tyres and rubber supports to make a challenging assault course. Children are keen to have a go and show increasing competence in their balance and jumping skills. Children are taken on regular outings to explore local woods, beaches and farms. They develop confidence in water during their weekly visits to a small private swimming pool.

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

• The two owners are passionate and dedicated to providing a fun environment where children can learn and thrive. They have made improvements since the last inspection and continue to be reflective in their work.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength. Parents speak highly of the progress their children make. They are very happy about the extra experiences the children enjoy, such as time in a swimming pool and trips to local woods, beaches and farms. Parents are very pleased with the information shared when they attend the nursery and through the online system.
• There is a strong focus on supporting children's independence. Babies are encouraged to feed themselves and to explore the environment with increasing confidence. Staff offer lots of praise to young children, who are keen to dress themselves before going outside. This helps children to build resilience and have a positive, can-do attitude.
• Staff regularly read stories to children and talk about what children are doing as they play. They encourage children to sing a wide variety of songs and nursery rhymes. However, on some occasions, staff do not ask enough open-ended questions and do not routinely repeat words for children to hear their correct pronunciation. As a result, some children do not receive sufficient support to become confident communicators.
• Staff regularly monitor children's progress and consider how best to implement their curriculum through planned interesting activities and challenging play experiences. However, staff do not use all opportunities to help children to count and compare sizes. As a result, children are not fully secure to use numbers and simple mathematical language as they play.
• Staff plan an exciting curriculum and provide a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. For example, in the garden, staff support babies to stand beside the utility mixing play tray table to allow them to explore the water and mud with their fingers. Babies show delight during this sensory play. Young children decide they would like to build a wall. Staff help children to think critically and problem solve as they stack foam bricks together and add sand, stones and mud to their constructions. There is lots of laughter when the wall falls down.
• Children are provided with a nutritious cooked midday meal and regular healthy snacks. They enjoy friendly social times as they sit around the large dining table together. Staff encourage children to have good manners and teach them how to use sign language for 'thank you'.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) identifies children who may benefit from additional support. She acts promptly to liaise with parents and other professionals. Staff place a high priority on supporting children's emotional well-being. They help children to identify and manage their feelings.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen interactions with children to encourage discussion and help them to build up awareness and recognition of letter sounds to become confident communicators
• further develop the curriculum, to provide more opportunities for children to count and compare size, helping them to be more secure in their use of number and simple mathematical language as they play.