Red Wellies Childcare Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children spend plenty of time exploring nature. They enjoy playing in a safe and stimulating outside environment. Children enthusiastically put on boots and rain suits to enable them to play outside in all weathers. Fresh air, exercise and lots of physical exertion helps to ensure children thrive in their physical well-being. Children benefit from a wide range of nutritious and healthy meals. The menu is designed to be varied, colourful and tasty. Children try new food and develop a positive attitude to healthy eating. The setting has worked hard to achieve an externally accredited advanced nutrition award. Dedication to children's health and well-being is unwavering and children are well supported in their physical development.

Children approach challenging tasks with positivity. For example, they carefully twist craft materials around a stick to create colourful magic wands. Children develop problem-solving and language skills as they talk about the material going 'under and over' when they weave. They repeatedly try until they eventually succeed. Children complete difficult tasks with confidence, resilience and focus. This can-do attitude to learning new things creates a secure foundation for their future learning. Staff plan exciting activities and children enjoy their play and learning. For example, children talk with immense excitement about a recent jelly activity which has clearly captured imagination and ignited curiosity. Children are curious, active learners who make good progress in their development.

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

• Senior leaders foster a culture of professional development. Experienced, level 6 qualified staff mentor less-experienced staff to share knowledge and improve teaching. Staff speak highly of the support they receive and are happy in their roles. In turn, staff are dedicated to the nursery and children benefit from competent and experienced staff.
• Staff are attentive and caring. Children enjoy warm, positive relationships with the adults who care for them. They frequently invite carers to join-in their games and ask for help when needed. Children are reassured and emotionally secure, supported by kind and gentle staff, who know them well.
• Staff use effective strategies to help to promote positive behaviour and encourage children to cooperate. Children follow simple and clear rules and know what is expected of them. For instance, they stop and listen when a bell sounds and begin to tidy away when they see a yellow circle. Children's behaviour is good.
• Senior leaders have a very clear vision for the setting and are aspirational for the future. Plans to develop and improve the already good outdoor environment are in place. For instance, leaders intend to extend print and literacy available outside, to further enhance provision for those children who prefer to learn outdoors. However, these plans have not been fully implemented at the time of inspection.
• Parents praise staff for their dedication and commitment, despite the restrictions and pressures imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They comment that their children are happy and making good progress in their all-round development. Partnerships with parents are good and children benefit from complementary care and learning opportunities between the setting and home.
• The curriculum is designed to be varied and successfully helps children to make good progress in their development. Staff know children well and carefully plan activities linked to children's interests and abilities. However, staff do not consistently plan precise, finely tuned next steps for all children.
• Senior leaders have good links with a range of external agencies and wider professionals. They seek help and advice when needed, to benefit children and ensure their needs are well met. For instance, strong links with local schools help children to feel secure when they move on from the setting.
• Teaching is good. All children make good progress, including those with additional needs, who are very well supported by a passionate special educational needs coordinator. Staff introduce new descriptive words to help to extend children's vocabulary. For example, when eating carrots, staff use words such as 'crunchy' and 'loud'. Children become confident communicators.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• implement plans to improve and develop the already good provision even further
• enhance planning for children's next steps in learning and ensure it is even more precisely linked to children's individual needs to help them to make rapid progress.