Smiley Faces Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive and settle quickly as they are warmly greeted by staff. Management have designed a clear curriculum focused on supporting children to develop their listening, attention, communication and social skills. During circle time activities, children sing a welcome song where they are encouraged to identify and name the child sitting next to them. Children's awareness of caring for living things is supported through a range of real-life, hands-on learning experiences. Older children have observed the changes caterpillars go through as they turn into butterflies. Staff use books like 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' to help children to learn and understand new words. As staff read the story, children recall what a cocoon is. They then excitedly explain to the inspector how the caterpillars in their enclosure formed cocoons before turning into butterflies.

Children are kept safe from potential harm through the vigilance of the staff team, and improved drop-off and collection procedures. Children are encouraged to behave well, with staff offering reminders where necessary to support their awareness of rules and boundaries. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified by staff. The settings special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works with staff, parents, and other professionals to identify individualised targets for each child. For children with more complex needs, staff receive relevant training so that they understand how to use specialist equipment to meet children's needs.

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

• Management have identified a significant impact from COVID-19 on children's personal development and communication skills. This also includes a higher proportion of children having SEND. Management have therefore designed their curriculum to focus on supporting children to learn how to play, interact and communicate with others. They also place a strong emphasis on helping children to develop their attention span.
• Staff help children to learn rules, boundaries and expectations. For example, children are encouraged to tidy away their toys at the end of the session. Staff hold baskets as they walk around the room encouraging younger children to pick up the toys. As children get older, staff encourage them to learn to put resources back where they belong.
• At staff sit with children during snack and lunchtime, they encourage good social interaction and conversations. Staff encourage children to eat savoury options before any sweeter foods. When reading stories, staff ask children questions to explore their understanding of being healthy. Children identify that the caterpillar feels unwell as it ate all the unhealthy food, and the healthy leaf made it feel better.
• Children are supported to build on their prior knowledge and skills through routine activities, like circle- and story-time sessions. However, when children choose not to participate in these planned experiences, staff do not adapt and plan alternatives for these children. While staff do engage in children's chosen play, the experiences provided are not as purposeful.
• While staff mainly focus on supporting children's positive interactions, attention and communication skills, they also use experiences to develop children's skills in other areas. For example, during routine circle-time activities, children count to 10 and are then encouraged to count the number of children present. Children develop their creativity and identify shapes, as they try and replicate symmetrical patterns on butterfly pictures.
• Staff plan key learning objectives for the whole group of children. They then individualise the learning experiences for each child, to support them to achieve these targets. Staff introduce children to termly themes and associated core-linked stories. They use these to broaden children's experiences and to introduce them to new words.
• Children learn about how things grow when planting sunflowers. Staff have also provided parents with seeds so that they can contribute to children's ongoing learning by growing sunflowers at home.
• Staff plan and deliver a range of interesting activities for children to engage in. However, once the activity is over, staff remove children's access to the experience. This prevents children from practising their skills and deepening their knowledge through their own explorations.
• Staff provide parents with information about forthcoming planned themes. They ask parents what each child already knows and what skills and knowledge they would like their child to develop. Parents are also asked about any events they are due to celebrate. Staff use all this information to inform future planning, respecting each child's background as they continue to move them forward in their development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• clarify how staff will plan alternative quality experiences for those children who choose not to participate during routine planned activities
• consider allowing children time to revisit and explore activities and resources, so that they can practise their skills and deepen their knowledge.