Puffins At Sowton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children relish exploring and learning independently with the skilled support of the enthusiastic and friendly staff. Staff and children have exceptionally strong bonds, which helps children feel secure at the nursery. Parents describe how much their children love particular members of staff and talk about them at home. Children of all ages love being outdoors and staff ensure that they have ample opportunities to choose where to play. Leaders and staff have planned the outdoor areas carefully to provide exciting learning environments and resources. For example, babies enjoy playing with bubbles and real flowers in the water tray. When it rains, staff respond imaginatively by adding paints to a puddle. Babies excitedly splash in the colourful water. Children behave extremely well. They respond to instructions and listen politely to others.

Staff have the highest expectations for all children. They work extremely closely with parents and carers to ensure that they understand children's starting points. They skilfully identify and plan for what each child needs to do next to make progress. Children, particularly those who need additional help, make notable progress.

The nursery closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but staff kept in touch with children and families to check on their welfare. Parents still drop their children off at the gate. Staff go the extra mile to ensure that communication is still a priority and that parents are fully involved in their children's learning and the nursery. For example, there is an outdoor lending library at the gate where children and parents can choose from a selection of children's and adult's books.

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

• Staff know children exceptionally well. The process of getting to know them begins with home visits before babies start, which helps the younger children settle in quickly. Staff have an excellent understanding of when children are engrossed in an activity and learning for themselves and when they would benefit from adult support. They do not intervene as children concentrate hard as they work out how to get water out of a large container and then carefully experiment with filling a receptacle. Staff are enthusiastic and encouraging, which motivates children. For example, a member of staff inspires children to take part in an imaginative dinosaur hunt.
• Children have excellent relationships and show great care and respect for one another. For example, they listen patiently as other children act out the stories they have written and clap when they have finished. Older children help those who are unable to reach when they want to add a basket on top of a stack of crates. Children learn about each other's backgrounds as they celebrate and value days that are special to them. For example, they found out about Poland as they celebrated Fat Thursday.
• Children learn a multitude of independence skills. As babies get older, they learn to drink from an open cup and to use cutlery prior to moving up to the next room. Older children confidently serve themselves and wash up their cups and plates. After eating, children, including those who are only just two, carry their chairs outside and wash them before stacking them.
• Leaders and staff have a deep, shared understanding of what children need to learn. They fully understand the importance of repetition to embed children's learning and skilfully build on what each child already knows. Staff have excellent opportunities for professional development. The company provides varied in-house training, and leaders inspire staff to continue their professional development after they have completed their initial qualifications.
• Partnerships with parents and carers are excellent. Staff share information with them in many different ways to ensure that they keep abreast of their children's development. They also involve parents in their children's learning. For example, parents have helped their children to bring in photos from home to complete their 'This is me' books. Staff have also asked parents for feedback on the supervised toothbrushing project that children have been taking part in.
• Children develop excellent communication skills. They thoroughly enjoy listening to, and joining in with, poetry and rhymes. Older children have written their own poem and entered it into a competition. They love making up stories, using their developing vocabulary. Staff use sign language with babies to help them learn to communicate before they can even speak. Babies learn a new sign every week.