Spoonbill Under 3's

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from a warm and friendly staff team who know them well. Staff take the time to settle children in and build strong bonds. This supports children's emotional well-being effectively. Children show they feel secure, holding up their arms for cuddles and smiling broadly as staff play with them. Staff are responsive to children's individual needs, such as settling tired babies to sleep swiftly.

Children listen to what staff say. Staff share stories, with children climbing on to their knees to snuggle in comfortably. Children keep on trying and show pride in their achievements. For instance, babies beam with delight as they manage to stack blocks. Staff share children's success and offer them plenty of warm praise.

Children are learning to manage their own feelings and behaviour. Staff are close by to offer children support when they need it. Children benefit from positive role models. Staff teach them to develop good manners and follow simple routines and expectations. For instance, children learn to sit at a table to eat their meals and snacks. They learn a good variety of skills to support them to move on to the next stage in their education.

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

• The manager and provider have clear aims for children in the setting. They have a well-thought-out curriculum in place to support children's learning and development. Children benefit from a staff team who all share the same high expectations for them. This supports good levels of continuity for children.
• There is a high focus on supporting children's communication skills and children hearing lots of words as they play. For instance, children learn about 'colanders' in the water, watching with interest as water pours through the holes. Staff encourage children to try and catch the water from watering cans. They introduce children to words, such as 'wet' and 'cold'. Children develop to be confident communicators.
• Staff encourage children to be independent from a young age. They show babies how to hold their water bottles, for example, and older children try and rub in their sun cream. Babies learn what the parts of their bodies are called as staff name them when applying their sun cream. Staff support babies to feed themselves at mealtimes, and older children to wipe their own hands and faces. They learn to manage their personal care skills.
• Children thrive in the inviting outdoor environment. They run about, laughing as staff join in with them. Staff help children to climb on to stepping stones, encouraging their physical development well. Staff lead children in stamping and marching as they sing. Children are motivated to join in.
• Staff plan activities to support children's learning. For example, children take part in a large-scale group-painting activity. Children learn to play alongside each other as they explore paint with different tools. However, staff do not consistently build on what children already know and can do. For example, older children mix colours to make orange, but staff do not help them to understand fully why this happens. This does not support children's learning to the very highest levels.
• Staff generally support children's play and learning well. Occasionally, when children are playing, staff do not sit and interact with them to help them with their learning. Sometimes, staff do not notice when children get distracted and walk away from activities. This does not support their learning consistently.
• Children benefit from regular outings, such as to a local music group. This helps them to see different people and different places. They learn about the wider world in which they are growing up.
• Staff comment on the high levels of support they receive from the provider and the manager. Staff can access training, such as recently around the use of 'treasure baskets'. They talk enthusiastically about the positive impact this has had on children's experiences at the setting.
• Parents comment very favourably about the setting. They say that the staff team is exceptional in supporting their children, and 'staff care for me as well as my child'. Staff build very effective partnerships with parents, which supports their children at home and in the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to clearly understand what they want children to learn and how they can extend learning for each child, so that all children make the best possible progress
• improve the effectiveness of staff deployment in all areas of the setting to ensure that all children receive the support they need to gain the most from activities.