Rosebank Naturegarden

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children explore freely and confidently in this incredibly well-organised and purposeful setting. The attention to detail and meticulous planning are second to none. Leaders have embedded an ambitious curriculum, securely rooted in the knowledge of how children develop and what they need to learn next. Staff have an excellent understanding of how to successfully implement the curriculum due to their breadth of training across all areas. They follow children's interests and individual learning styles and skilfully engage children in the wondrous opportunities on offer.

Staff use superb questioning techniques to extend children's thinking. For example, they encourage children to wonder why the worms are 'super worms'. They ask children what they think is happening to the soil as their potatoes are growing. Children eagerly recall that, 'Worms make the soil strong so we get healthy plants.' Staff expertly extend this, telling the children the worms are 'enriching the soil with nutrients'. Children become deeply engrossed and this stimulates further discussions and motivates children to find out more.

Children's emotional security is promoted exceptionally well by staff, who act as excellent role models. Children arrive each day eager to participate in an exceptionally well-planned welcome and self-registration. This begins with a daily mile run around the setting's expansive grounds. This helps to ensure children are ready to learn. All children behave incredibly well and display highly positive attitudes to learning.

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

• The inspirational management team is extremely supportive and provides very effective leadership for staff. Staff training is precisely targeted and relevant to their needs. The focus is upon continually enhancing staff skills in order to have a purposeful impact on children's progress. Leaders reflect continuously. Strong teamwork and shared high aspirations for the children are at the heart of everything they do. As a result, staff feel valued and work diligently to ensure that the setting provides an outstanding environment where children can thrive.
• Staff go above and beyond to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and find training courses specific to these needs. Consequently, children with SEND are included in the setting exceptionally well and make excellent progress from their starting points.
• Children are consistently encouraged to develop their independence and manage all personal care tasks for themselves. Mealtimes are delightful, and the routine of preparing for, and then sitting together amicably runs incredibly smoothly. Children confidently self-serve and pass the dishes around the table to their friends. They show high levels of concentration as they carefully pour their own water from lidded jugs. Opportunities such as these build children's confidence as they become capable and confident individuals.
• Staff are skilful in teaching mathematics. They provide various opportunities for children to count, measure and compare. Children confidently count the number of apples they have collected in their wheelbarrows. They talk about the shape and size of their play dough and then compare which of their creations is longer. Children recognise numerals on road signs while on a local walk and are eager to match this to the number of their friends. This helps to ensure mathematical skills are embedded securely, and children flourish as a consequence.
• Staff promote a love of reading by sharing stories with children and referencing these during play. Staff read with enthusiasm and story times are exceptionally well delivered. Staff offer creative ways to make links in children's learning with a variety of different stories. They extend children's understanding of the world by incorporating books throughout the changing seasons. For instance, children enjoy sharing books such as 'Owl Babies' as autumn approaches and 'The Colour Monster' to teach the newer children to recognise their different emotions as they settle in. This not only promotes children's literacy skills but also strengthens their development across all areas of learning.
• Staff promote kindness and teach children about similarities and differences within their community. Children delight in their familiar walks to visit the hens and eagerly recall their names and characteristics. They walk to the village to feed the ducks and purchase ingredients at the local shops and bakery. These visits help children to develop a growing understanding of each other's differences and promote respect for different people.
• Children benefit from particularly close links with the on-site primary school. They are incredibly well supported through teacher visits, close partnership working and discussions. This helps to ensure that transitions are seamless and children's needs will continue to be met when they move on to their next stage of learning.