Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy warm, close relationships with staff who take time to get to know each child well. They help children to feel secure and highly valued, for example, by using children's likes and dislikes to provide enjoyable activities. Staff have high expectations of children and manage their behaviour in positive ways. For instance, they use praise to encourage children to behave well and talk about acceptable ways to behave. Children learn to share and to take turns well, such as when they play organised group games.

The curriculum is wide, varied and supports good progress for all children. Children gain good early mathematical skills. For instance, staff use mathematical language to describe quantity, such as 'heavy' and 'light' as children scoop pasta into containers. They sing number songs and rhymes to support children's counting skills. Children learn about the world around them effectively. For example, staff teach children about the life cycle of a butterfly and how they grow from caterpillars. They plant and grow beans with children to teach them how things grow. Children learn about difference. For instance, staff provide children with soft toys, dolls and books that reflect different races and cultures. Staff discuss special religious and cultural events, such as Diwali and Chinese New Year. Staff support children's learning in the out-of-school club well, for instance, by linking activities to their interests.

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

• Children have good physical skills. Babies and toddlers learn to walk and balance, for instance, by using push along and ride-on wheeled toys. Older children enjoy various challenges, such as climbing across frames and steer wheeled toys carefully outdoors.
• Staff teach children good communication, language and literacy skills. For example, children to bring items from home to show and talk about in front of others to support their communication skills. Staff read a wide range of stories and sing songs and rhymes to support children's language skills. Children learn how to create their own stories using pictures as prompts.
• Children develop good independence skills, for example, they put on and take off their own coats and shoes. Younger children learn to feed themselves, while their older peers prepare their own snacks and pour their own drinks.
• Staff support children's creative development effectively. Children under two years enjoy a wide range of sensory experiences, for instance, they explore different textures such as wood, metal and shiny materials. Older children enjoy exploring the effects of printing using mesh and paint.
• Staff work successfully with parents. For example, by providing access to a wide range of workshops to promote best outcomes for children, such as language development and healthy eating. Parents borrow books to share with their children at home to support their learning. Staff keep parents well informed about children's progress in effective ways, such as daily conversations and secure electronic diaries.
• The manager provides good support to staff. She meets with staff individually to discuss work and promote staff development. For instance, staff attend a wide range of courses, such as supporting outdoor learning which led to improvements in this area.
• The manager evaluates all aspects of the nursery well and sets clear goals for improvement. For example, she plans to model best practice in group rooms to enhance teaching and learning.
• Staff prioritise children's safety. They check the nursery, toys and resources, indoors and outdoors to minimise the risk of hazards. The manager carries out robust background checks on staff as part of the recruitment process. This helps to keep children safe.
• Staff ensure that children have nutritious meals and snacks, and daily physical exercise outdoors as part of their healthy routines. They promote children's awareness of oral hygiene effectively. For instance, children practise toothbrushing on large tooth and gum models.
• Generally, staff interact with children and structure their learning well. However, at times, some staff do not give children time to think and respond to questions, for example, as children play with construction sets.
• There are occasions when children are unclear about what is happening in the nursery at different times and it takes them a while to settle, for instance when it is group story time. This does not fully support children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consistently give children more time to think and respond to questions to support their thinking skills further
• help children to understand what is happening throughout the day to support their understanding more securely.