Scallywags

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff and leaders provide a warm and nurturing environment where children are happy, settled and develop strong, trusting bonds with their key person and staff. Staff are attentive to the individual needs of the children, helping them feel safe and secure. Children quickly become engaged in their play and make independent choices about what they would like to play with, showing curiosity and enthusiasm. Staff are skilled at weaving additional learning into children's play. They naturally introduce counting, mathematical concepts and problem-solving.

Staff encourage children's communication and language skills through meaningful conversations, open-ended questions and storytelling. They work with the older children to introduce letter sounds and help children recognise objects that start with associated letters. Staff praise children for their efforts, helping to boost their self-esteem and love for learning. Younger children enjoy singing familiar nursery rhymes and join in with the actions. Staff are attentive and join in with their play, providing a narrative and introducing new words. Younger children delight in sensory play. They eagerly scoop and pour porridge oats, feeling the texture between their fingers and strengthening their fine motor skills.

Staff expectations for behaviour are fully embedded, and children confidently recall the rules. Children play well together, demonstrating kindness and respect for their friends. They learn about diversity and what makes them unique. Children enjoy celebrating different cultures and learning about festivals through activities, stories and conversations. This helps children to explore the world beyond their immediate environment, develop self-awareness and appreciate differences.

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

• Leaders and staff are passionate about their role and are dedicated to providing the very best for all children. They provide a broad and balanced curriculum, building on children's interests, skills and individual needs. Additional funding is used effectively to enhance children's learning experiences. As a result, all children make good progress.
• Leaders have a strong commitment to continuous improvement. They reflect on the quality of teaching and the experiences children receive to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Leaders welcome feedback from parents and actively use it to make any changes, further strengthening links between home and the setting.
• Leaders and staff have strong and positive relationships with parents. They ensure that parents feel involved and well-informed about their child's progress and the care they receive. Parents say that their children have made 'fantastic progress', particularly in their speech and language. They highly value the setting and the dedication of leaders and staff.
• Older children take part in a fun and interactive science experiment. Staff support children to take turns as they pour water into cups, add food colouring and absorbent paper. Staff encourage children to make predictions about what they think might happen, which helps to support children's critical thinking skills. Children observe closely as the coloured water travels up the paper. They excitedly compare the colours, saying, 'It looks like a volcano', showing imaginative thinking. However, not all children could see the activity and waited too long for their turn. As a result, some children lose interest in their learning and become distracted.
• Staff provide children with daily opportunities to develop their physical skills both indoors and outdoors. Children confidently walk across beams with balance and coordination, play ball games and climb on larger apparatus. Staff provide encouragement and challenge, helping children to test their abilities in a safe and reassuring environment.
• Staff encourage children to develop their independence through daily routines, such as handwashing and pouring their own drinks at mealtimes. On the whole, transitions between activities and daily routines run smoothly. However, the lunchtime routine is not as well thought out, which has an impact on the attention that staff can provide children. As a result, some children are unsure of what is expected of them.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from a dedicated sensory room, providing a calm and engaging environment. Leaders and staff are highly committed in supporting children with SEND. They work alongside other professionals and implement carefully targeted plans, tailored to each child's individual needs. Children with SEND make good progress alongside their peers in a supportive and inclusive environment.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the organisation of group activities to ensure that all children remain fully engaged and focused in their learning, enabling them to participate effectively
• review the lunchtime transitions to ensure that routines are well structured and consistently meet the needs of all children.