Play2Talk Kent House

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in their learning and play at the setting. They benefit greatly from the strong links between their families and the high levels of support from adults working with them, including specialist staff. This means children's experiences are carefully tailored so they reach their full potential.

Children have secure attachments with adults caring for them. They are settled and engaged. They make good progress because adults working with them know them well and know how to communicate with them individually. Due to the different ability levels of the children attending, staff are skilled at picking up on subtle cues children give them and responding sensitively to them. For example, they know when children are tired and take them to a calm area to nap.

Staff praise and provide children with support and encouragement as they ask them what the weather is like outside. Children respond correctly, saying that it is 'sunny'. Staff plan a wide and ambitious curriculum that offers children the opportunities to develop their physical skills and have fun as they are captivated in their imaginative play. Children play independently with scoops in the rice tray, stretching their arms up while gripping the full scoops and pouring the rice from different heights. They watch and listen as it bounces into the tray. Staff prompt the children to think carefully when there are hazards, such as the rice falling on the floor.

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

• Staff focus heavily on supporting children's communication, meaning children make good progress in the development of their language skills, particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. For example, staff interact clearly with children while playing with a wooden ramp toy. They ask the children open questions that encourage them to answer using simple key phrases, such as 'roll ball down'.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the setting. Parents speak positively and comment that they feel extremely grateful to have found the setting. They say that their children are very settled and have formed close relationships with staff and other children. Staff provide additional support to the families inside and outside of the setting to help them to understand the teaching techniques used and support their child's learning even further at home.
• The provider implements a broad curriculum, which reflects all areas of learning and children's individual interests and learning needs. All staff know what skills and knowledge they want children to learn. The environment is accessible so that children can explore using their imaginations. All staff use these opportunities to build on children's next stages in their development.
• Staff skilfully introduce opportunities for children to develop their literacy and mathematical skills. For example, while children are enjoying a sticking activity, children stick the correct number of leaves to the picture next to the number 'three'. Staff check children's understanding by asking them to count 'how many leaves are on the picture'. Children correctly count to the number on their picture.
• All staff complete regular training to improve their skills and interactions with children. For example, staff attend refresher courses in child protection. This has enabled them to continue to be vigilant of any safeguarding issues.
• Staff support children to grow a love of reading. Children are focused and engaged as they sit and listen intently to staff reading stories, such as 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', and copy the sounds with staff saying, 'squishy swashy'. Staff introduce children to songs and rhymes to further support their communication and language development.
• The provider makes good choices to deploy staff and share their expertise across her settings to support children's development. There is scope to develop the information-sharing arrangements between staff when they move settings to further enhance children's experiences.
• Staff implement good personal hygiene routines, such as handwashing before meals. They work with parents to make sure children eat a healthy diet. Children are consistently provided with healthy food choices, which helps to support children's awareness of being healthy and having good social and emotional well-being.
• Staff provide different experiences for children, such as taking them to local parks and learning about nature. Children are able to use these experiences during their time at the setting through the carefully planned curriculum.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the communication between staff to share information when they move between settings.