Pre-school Learning Alliance Bestwood Childcare Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting eager to explore the environment. Staff develop caring relationships with children, including those who have recently started attending the setting. This sees children confidently approach staff to seek comfort and reassurance when needed. Children remain focused for lengthy periods of time as they play with sand. Staff support children to test their own ideas and encourage children to notice what their friends have created. Children enjoy using scoops to dig in the sand, which they then use to fill their sand moulds and buckets. Staff encourage children to talk about what they are doing and ask children simple questions. Children are keen to tell staff they are squashing and patting the sand into the moulds to make a castle. Staff introduce new vocabulary, explaining the sand has become 'compressed'. This supports children's growing language skills.

Staff are positive role models and encourage children to take turns and share toys with their friends. Children receive praise when they use their manners and are polite to others. When minor squabbles during play occur, staff swiftly intervene and gently work with children to resolve these. This sees children quickly return to their play.

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

• Staff support children to be independent. Children are encouraged to get their coats, hang up messy-play aprons, wash their hands and pour their drinks at mealtimes. Older children complete these tasks with little support, acting as role models for younger children. Staff praise children for their efforts and offer help and guidance when needed.
• Overall, staff promote children's good health and provide healthy snacks and fresh drinking water for children to access. At snack time, children speak with staff about different fruits and why these are healthy. However, staff do not always deliver clear messages on supporting children's good health. For instance, some staff drink sugary fizzy drinks in front of children, and staff have not yet shared information with families about how to make children's drink bottles as healthy as possible.
• Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play. They use their leg muscles as they confidently run up and down slopes, and other children exclaim their delight as they splash in puddles seeing how high they can jump. Children bend and stretch during a minibeast hunt and are supported by staff to safely lift heavy objects to look underneath. This supports children to develop their physical skills.
• In general, children listen to staff and follow instructions. For example, children enjoy taking part in group story and song times. Staff encourage children to choose books, which staff read with enthusiasm. Children are encouraged to join in with the story and help turn the pages of the book. However, at times, some children lose focus and wander to nearby toys. Staff initially attempt to re-engage children in the group activity, but this is not pursued. As a result, more children disengage, preferring to play instead. This does not consistently support children to learn what is expected of them.
• Staff help children to develop their early mathematical knowledge. For example, children work with staff to build towers from colourful bricks. Staff use words such as 'taller', 'more' and 'less' and encourage children to consider what these look like. During a sorting activity, children confidently name the colours of the keys and sorting bowls before matching these up correctly. Staff extend this, supporting children to continue a simple pattern sequence. This helps children learn simple mathematical concepts.
• Managers and staff know the children well. They gather information about children through observation, assessment and parental feedback. This helps staff plan activities for children based on their interests and next steps. However, not all activities have a planned intent to support children to progress in their learning. Therefore, some children do not always build on what they know and can do to make the best possible progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of how to plan and deliver activities that have a clear intent, in order to build on what children already know and can do
• provide children and parents with consistent messages about healthy drink choices to further promote healthy lifestyles
• support staff to be consistent in their approach and build on children's understanding of behaviour expectations.