Readwell Care

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

On arrival, children are warmly greeted at the door by friendly staff who know them and their families well. Older children eagerly leave their parents at the entrance, and babies immediately reach out their arms when they see staff. Children settle quickly into purposeful play and are eager for their learning to begin.

Staff work closely with managers to plan a curriculum that supports positive outcomes from each child's developmental starting points. Regular observations and interactions help staff to identify children's interests and inform their planning. Staff support children's interests well as they plan activities, both indoors and outdoors. For example, indoors, babies are supported to develop through 'tummy time'. Staff encourage them to develop core muscles as they begin to crawl and reach for known toys of interest. Outdoors, older children interested in sports eagerly play tennis. They skilfully hold rackets and return balls over the net with confidence and excitement. This supports the development of their physical skills.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They are good role models, and children behave well. Staff encourage children to share and take turns through a range of games and activities. Children happily help to tidy up and understand the importance of keeping their areas tidy. They play well alongside and with each other and show care and concern for their friends.

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

• Leaders value the importance of promoting children's communication and language skills. Staff support this effectively through interactive play and meaningful conversations with children. They join in children's play, narrate their actions and model language to build their vocabulary. Older children hear new words, such as 'intelligent', while babies are encouraged to vocalise by staff who repeat sounds as they babble and coo.
• Leaders show a clear commitment to supporting staff's well-being and understanding of their role. Staff feel supported, with manageable workloads and a positive team culture.
• Leaders ensure that they and their staff complete all mandatory training. They work collaboratively to review the provision and actively seek feedback to drive improvements. However, staff do not consistently receive targeted professional development to deepen their knowledge and create opportunities to extend children's learning further.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good support. Staff work closely with parents and carers and external professionals to identify children's needs and plan targeted support. This collaborative approach ensures that children receive the help they need early, and that it helps them make consistent progress.
• Leaders and staff are very reflective and regularly look at what is working well and what could be improved in the setting. For instance, they have recently introduced a stronger focus on planning snack options for the children. This ensures balanced and healthy options for the children and enhances their interest in new and varied foods.
• Staff have a strong focus on promoting children's independence from an early age. They recognise how important this is for children's development of self-help skills, problem-solving and a sense of responsibility. Staff encourage children to wash their hands, serve themselves snack and clear the table away after they have finished. This supports children's confidence and gives them a sense of accomplishment.
• Staff help children to learn how to keep themselves healthy. Children learn the importance of wearing hats to protect them from the sun when playing outdoors. Staff build well on children's understanding of keeping cool during the hot weather, including explaining the importance of regularly drinking water to remain hydrated.
• Staff develop good relationships with the children they care for. They skilfully read nonverbal cues from young babies, such as when they are tired. They offer appropriate support to assist children's physical development, which provides a good balance between being challenging, yet achievable.
• Partnerships with parents are a clear strength. Parents feel well informed and involved in their child's learning journey through regular updates, observations and progress discussions. Staff share ideas for learning and next steps, helping parents to support their child's development at home. Children benefit from consistent support between home and nursery, which helps them make further progress in their learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus professional development for staff to support children's learning further.