Seahawk Under Fives

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children separate from their parents with ease as they happily enter this friendly and welcoming setting. They independently find a peg to place their coat on before running over to their friends. Children display a strong sense of belonging and show that they feel safe and secure. For example, children call the names of staff before rushing over to them and jumping on their laps. They cuddle into staff and begin to chat away. Staff respond with a smile, showing genuine warmth and kindness.

Children benefit from a fun and stimulating curriculum designed to meet their individual needs. Older children are aware of the setting motto, 'Be kind, be safe, be mindful'. Staff identify what children need to learn next and then plan a suitable range of learning experiences. Children show high levels of enthusiasm when they sing 'Rain Rain Go Away' while watching sand fall through their fingers. Staff enthusiastically join in with the children and give them praise for their efforts.

Children learn to be independent. For example, staff encourage children to use tongs to select their own snack, and they confidently sweep up sand and rice after activities. Children learn to take turns and share equipment as they use chalk to create masterpieces. Staff support children to take managed risks in the outdoor area to help build their self-confidence. Children use litter pickers to help to tidy up the local community. This helps children to learn to take care of the environment around them.

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

• Leaders support their team's professional development and their well-being. They are effective role models who demonstrate friendly and supportive interactions with children. Staff cheerfully talk of how leaders support them and value their input. For instance, they hold frequent meetings and training opportunities to improve staff's knowledge and practice. Leaders use additional funding appropriately. For example, staff recently attended training to improve their teaching for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Staff work positively with outside agencies to ensure that children with SEND receive individualised support at the earliest opportunity. They ensure that children can take part in all activities and experiences. This helps to develop children's self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Children benefit from a language-rich environment. Staff sing songs and read books to children throughout the day. They introduce new words during play and model correct pronunciation. Staff also use visual aids and sign language to help children's understanding. This helps children, particularly children with SEND, to be good communicators.
• Children's behaviour is generally good. Older children help younger children to put their scarf back on when it has fallen off. Children thank each other when their friends pass resources that are out of their reach, such as spoons in the soil. Children mostly work together well as they hide dinosaurs in the soil and then dig them up. While some staff effectively address low-level disruptive behaviours such as snatching toys, others are less consistent in reinforcing boundaries. This inconsistency makes it harder for children to understand and manage their own behaviour.
• Staff develop children's mathematical language when they thread mathematical concepts into activities. For example, they encourage children to predict how many scoops of sand they need to fill an egg cup. Staff praise children's efforts, and children smile proudly. Staff support children's creativity when they encourage children to use their imagination to make 'delicious strawberry cakes' for them. Children begin to sing 'Happy Birthday' while staff pretend to hold birthday balloons, causing loud laughter. This demonstrates warm and trusting relationships between children and staff.
• Generally, staff organise group times well. They plan age- and stage-appropriate activities that capture children's attention, such as a yoga session. However, some group times do not always enable all children to gain the most from the activity. Some children find it difficult to focus their attention for longer periods and wander off. As a result, some children lose interest and become distracted, which impacts on others. This does not fully meet children's needs.
• Parents speak highly of the setting, particularly about the staff and good communication they receive. Staff work in partnership with parents to continue to support children's learning at home. For example, they share home learning ideas with parents through regular posts on their online journals. This supports the continuation of children's learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop behaviour management strategies further to support children to understand how their behaviour impacts on others
• strengthen the organisation of group-time activities to help children remain focused in their learning.