Sidings Community & Under 5's Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff know children very well. They help them to enjoy their time in this welcoming environment. Children show good levels of emotional well-being and that they feel happy and secure. Staff support children to develop positive bonds with peers and adults present. Children busily engage in a wide variety of activities. Staff plan age-appropriate experiences to build on what children already know. They help children to recall what they have learned. For example, as they discuss about healthy eating, children refer to the display they have created about 'Hungry caterpillar.' This helps to strengthen children's memory and make links to previous learning.

Leaders and staff team have worked hard to make improvements since the last inspection. Staff interact well with children and provide them with opportunities to become skilful communicators. Leaders have worked hard to create a clear and purposeful curriculum, and staff understand what it is that they want children to learn and why. This has a positive impact on all children's learning and development.

Staff provide clear sequences to the day that help children to know what is next and what to do. Children's behaviour throughout the setting is good. Staff encourage them to share, take turns and be kind to one another.

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

• Leaders implement an effective programme of supervision for all staff. Staff are encouraged in their professional development and attend meetings or access training so that they are able to improve their knowledge. However, less confident staff require further support to elevate their teaching skill to a consistently highest level.
• Leaders and staff monitor children's progress closely and take swift actions to provide additional support and intervention, where they identify any gaps. All children, including those with special educational needs and/ or disabilities make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff place a strong focus on children's communication and language development. Children have the opportunity to hear a range of vocabulary as they play to help extend their language. For example, children learn names of different herbs as they mix and explore them with play dough. Staff help children to use their good communication skills to engage in dialog. They practise to take turns in conversation and to listen to others with attention.
• Staff promote children's interest in books and stories, by reading books to children throughout the day. Children enjoy looking at books independently as well as sharing stories during group times.
• The curriculum supporting children's physical development is strong. Children climb up and across large apparatus outdoor. Staff effectively support children's core strength and coordination. Children's small muscles are strengthened through regular exploration of malleable materials, such as sand and play dough. Staff provide a variety of mark-making tools and older children use these with precision. They write recognisable letters from their names, with great pride in their achievements.
• Staff teach children good early mathematical skills. For example, they sing number songs and rhymes where children practise their counting skills. Staff and children use mathematical language to describe size and position of objects. For example, staff ask children to use rolling pin in horizontal position.
• Staff teach children about safety. They give explanations as to why they have asked children not to do something. This helps children to begin to understand how to keep themselves safe. Discussions around topics such as screen time and online safety help children to develop an awareness of how to make safe and healthy choices.
• Staff are good role models of expected behaviour. They implement clear and consistent rules and boundaries that help children to learn right from wrong. Staff constantly provide praise and encouragement for children's efforts and achievements.
• Staff work effectively in partnership with parents and agree on children's learning. Parents comment on how helpful and friendly the staff are. They enjoy receiving information to explain what children will be doing while at the setting. This helps the parents with their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the individual support and coaching for less confident staff, to improve their skills and the quality of teaching to the highest level.