Shining Stars Swarland

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are extremely happy and settled in this small and friendly setting. Staff know children and their families well. This helps children to form lovely relationships with staff. Parents and carers report that their children thoroughly enjoy coming to the setting. Staff want children to be independent, reach their full potential and be ready for school when the time comes. They plan a curriculum which takes account of what children need to learn next and their interests. They support children's learning through child-led play. Staff are effective play partners. Children enjoy playing and exploring in enabling environment, indoors and outdoors.

Staff place an emphasis on children developing their self-care skills. Even younger children very competently pour their own drinks and self-serve their snack. Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe. Children learn the importance of drinking water to stay hydrated. They understand why they need to wear cream and hats on sunny days. Staff teach children about road safety, such as how to use a pretend pedestrian crossing when playing outdoors. Children behave well. They learn to share, take turns and listen to the views of others. Staff teach children to follow instructions. For example, when staff switch the lights off and back on, all children understand that this means they need to stop what they are doing and listen.

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

• Children explore the vast amount of outdoor spaces in the setting. Staff plan lots of opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. Older children pedal confidently around tracks, knowing to negotiate other children. Younger children solve problems as they build obstacle courses to practise their balancing skills. Children relish the time they spend in the fresh air each day.
• Staff place a focus on children developing healthy lifestyles. Children use safety knives to very confidently chop a range of fruit at snack time. Staff make sure that parents understand the setting's packed lunch policy. They invite parents into the setting to explain about their occupations, such as those that are dentists talk to children about the importance of good oral hygiene.
• Staff teach children about diversity. They make sure that books and resources reflect the differences in society. Staff regularly take children on visits into the local community. Children are motivated to plan vegetables, such as peas and beans, and understand that they need to water them. Staff use these experiences to help children to learn about the world around them.
• The setting has a good relationship with on-site school. Staff accompany children on transition visits to Reception class and invite school staff into the setting. They share lots of information when children move on to school. This helps children to have a seamless move on to school.
• Staff engage in constant conversations with children as they play. Staff comment on what children are doing, ask effective questions and introduce new vocabulary. This helps children to develop their language skills and be confident to communicate.
• Children develop a love of books in this setting. They sit with staff in cosy book areas, indoors and outside, listening carefully to favourite stories. Staff teach older children what an 'author' and an 'illustrator' mean. Younger children join in joyfully with familiar phrases in the story. Children take books home from the setting's lending library or the visiting library bus to share with their parents.
• Staff are dedicated to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They adapt strategies to help all children to communicate, such as using objects, visual props or Makaton signs. Staff make prompt referrals to external professionals, such as speech and language therapy, to help all children to make the best possible progress.
• Parents are positive about their children's experiences in the setting. They receive lots of information, such as through regular newsletters and an online app. Staff make sure that parents are involved in their child's learning. For example, they invite parents into the setting for stay-and-play sessions with their children. This helps to provide continuity in children's learning.
• Managers offer staff regular supervision sessions and feedback on their practice. However, on occasions, staff are not deployed effectively to support children to be fully engaged in their learning. For example, when staff prepare for snack time, some children do not receive consistent support to be involved in their play.
• Managers make sure that staff attend all statutory training, such as first aid and safeguarding. However, professional development is not as focused on extending staff's knowledge of how to support children's learning and development even further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation for routine times of the day, to make sure that all children are engaged in their learning at these times
• focus professional development on enhancing staff's knowledge of how to support children's learning even further.