Pixieland Mannamead

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time in this friendly and welcoming setting, where nurturing staff meet their needs. All babies relish exploring the sensory room. Older babies crawl to items that interest them, such as the 'discovery board', where they delight in looking at their reflections in the mirrors. They learn to hold musical bells and understand how to create sounds by shaking them. Staff play peekaboo with babies through a blackout tent. Babies become excited as they anticipate when staff will appear. Young children enjoy stories, and staff encourage turn-taking so children can open the flaps in the book. Staff encourage children to repeat words and say the names of animals, such as 'lion', 'monkey' and 'snake'. This helps children associate words with pictures. Staff read with intonation to keep children engaged. Older children recall prior knowledge as they talk about what happens next in their favourite stories.

Children play cooperatively and enjoy interactions with adults and their peers alike. Staff support children to work together, such as when completing a jigsaw. Children have good levels of independence at all ages. Babies feed themselves with spoons, young children find their comforters to get ready for nap time and older children find their named pegs without support.

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

• Young babies develop good physical skills. They show fascination while watching the movement of bubbles within large cylinder lamps and reach out to them. Older babies enjoy climbing on soft-play equipment and interacting with sensory activities. They use their hand muscles while turning wooden rotating discs and watch carefully as a spiral pattern emerges.
• Children enjoy the company of others. They play together with red dough and use heart moulds to create shapes. Staff help them link this to previous events where they had a Valentine's tea party. Staff talk to children about how the cinnamon-scented dough smells. They encourage children to use words to describe it, such as 'spicy'.
• Partnerships with parents is effective. Parents comment that staff 'go the extra mile' and that their children have made strong progress since starting. Staff share detailed information with parents about children's learning. The use of fictional characters, such as 'Successful Spider', 'Learning Ladybird' and 'Busy Bee', celebrates children's achievements. This also informs parents of what children need to learn next and ways to support children's development at home.
• All children can bring photos in from home. Staff display these so children feel secure and to help promote children's communication and language skills. 'Wow' moments highlighting children's achievements build children's confidence and self-esteem.
• Care practices are good. Staff attend to children's personal needs frequently and encourage older children to complete these independently. However, staff do not always tell children when they are going to change their nappy, wipe their nose or put on a bib, particularly in the baby and toddler rooms. Although staff have visual aids to help children understand what will happen next, these are not consistently used. Staff do not always communicate their intentions to children well enough to encourage continual respectful care.
• All children have good opportunities to be outside and engage in physical exercise. Staff talk to children about the benefits of exercise for their bodies, and help children understand the importance of good oral health. Older children take part in yoga sessions and pretend to be insects that link to the story they have just heard. However, during free-play activities, the noise level in the pre-school room often becomes very loud. Children shout over one another and staff also do the same to get their attention, which disrupts the children's concentration levels. Although staff have implemented some strategies to prevent this, these are not always effective.
• Children learn about other cultures and traditions. Staff utilise parents' strengths to help children learn about other languages, such as German, and about different celebrations, including the Holi festival. Staff provide children with frequent opportunities to make and try foods from around the world. Dual-language story books and world flags throughout the setting provide an inclusive feel.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help younger children to recognise what will happen next, particularly during care routines, to support their understanding further
• develop further strategies to help reduce the noise level in the pre-school room to aid children's concentration.