Poppies Child Care (Cumbria) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff at the setting have developed a curriculum that adopts a blended approach. The curriculum intent is clear and ambitious. Leaders have a good knowledge of how children learn. They have researched different methods of delivery and believe that children are unique and learn in different ways. Leaders and staff are reflective and open to change. Leaders frequently adapt the curriculum intent to support children's individual needs. The staff team is mostly long established and highly qualified. This means staff know the children well.

Children who are new to the setting receive gentle support and encouragement from staff to help them to develop a sense of belonging in the baby room. Staff are sensitive in their interactions with children and adapt how they communicate to meet their different levels of development. Once children enter the nursery, they thrive in environments designed to spark their curiosity. Leaders and staff organise the setting to help meet children's interests. They thoughtfully arrange inviting spaces that encourage child-initiated play. For instance, younger children benefit from low-level furniture and activities that support their physical growth. Older children engage in experiences that build their understanding of mathematical concepts, such as recognising number symbols and practising counting. Staff have a secure understanding of child development. They provide children with nurturing experiences, which supports them to settle well.

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

• Children's communication and language are supported well from an early age. Staff working with babies and younger children respond positively to their babble and encourage sounds and first words. Older children hear new words and vocabulary and begin to include them in their conversations. Staff ask children questions and patiently wait for them to think about the answer and respond. They recognise where there may be gaps in children's speech and language and work with outside professionals to ensure children receive any additional support they may need.
• The setting identifies children with special educational needs and/or disabilities very well. There are well-established systems to identify where children may need support, and early help is sought promptly. Leaders make excellent use of additional funding, ensuring that all children have access to the full range of learning experiences available. As a result, children make strong progress in their development, with support extending to their families as well.
• Staff skilfully support children's development in mathematics. Children sort colours of objects they find outdoors. They estimate which group of objects is the biggest. Then they count excitedly to find out which colour has the most objects. Staff continually ask children to count how many children there are.
• Children leave this setting to go to school with a good understanding of mathematics.
• Children make choices in their play. For example, older children vote to decide which story they want to listen to. They count how many votes each book has and know which book had the most votes. Children, throughout the nursery, enjoy looking at books. They enjoy listening to stories and eagerly talk about characters in the stories as staff read to them.
• The setting's curriculum, which is broad and ambitious for children, is relatively new. It focuses on the important knowledge children should learn and which order this should be taught in. However, in practice some staff do not always consistently implement parts of the curriculum as intended, with particular regard to children's personal development. This means that occasionally learning experiences do not help children to fully develop their independence skills.
• Staff provide children with a variety of healthy and home-cooked meals prepared fresh on the premises. They are aware of children's allergies and dietary requirements when serving food and ensure that these are adhered to. This supports children's physical well-being.
• Leaders and staff build very strong relationships with parents. They ensure that parents are involved in all aspects of their children's care and education. For example, parents are invited to the setting for informal meetings and provided with regular feedback. Parents report how much their children love attending the nursery and comment on the wonderful care and support they receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to understand and consistently implement the nursery's curriculum to further enhance children's independence.