Squiggles Day Care & Activity Club Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children build strong bonds with their key person. They very much enjoy their time at this friendly, family-run nursery. Staff know all the children and show genuine interest in them. On arrival, children quickly find interesting activities and confidently explore. New children settle well with the staff's caring and attentive support. Staff ensure that areas are safe, security procedures are implemented and children are closely supervised to ensure their safety.

Staff form the curriculum from their observations of children, recognising their achievements and outlining what children need to learn next. They add additional activities and support to their suitably stimulating environment to help children to progress. Children are motivated successfully by the age-appropriate experiences on offer. Babies are fascinated to explore coloured spaghetti, emptying and filling cups, building their confidence with different materials. Leaders work with staff to adapt areas to the needs of the children. For example, they swap age groups around as numbers change to ensure that larger groups have more space. They also adapt activities based on the way children use the spaces, such as adding in indoor equipment for their physical development. Older babies very much benefit from this, building their strength and coordination on their new slide. Staff help older children progress their skills on obstacle courses in the garden. They help them learn to manage risks and effectively build their confidence to take on challenges and keep on trying.

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

• Staff develop children's knowledge of the world. They take them out on trips into the local community and develop children's confidence in new situations. Children learn about people who can help them, through interesting activities. Additionally, staff thoughtfully help children recognise and feel confident about the differences between themselves and others.
• Children's care needs are appropriately supported. Staff take the time to make sure children are comfortable and happy. They patiently assist toddlers with their potty training. They remind children to wear a coat outside and help children get changed after water play to ensure they do not get too cold.
• Children learn to take turns with toys and develop their sense of responsibility as they follow tidy-up routines. They begin to do things for themselves, such as to get their coats and boots on to go outside. However, occasionally, staff are not successful in helping older children to manage their emotions and learn to interact appropriately with their friends, cooperating effectively.
• Staff thoughtfully join children in their imaginative play, weaving in useful discussion, ideas and learning. Children pretend to put out fires on wood bundles with their watering cans. Staff encourage children to think about risk and safety around fires. Toddlers imaginatively explore caring for others as they play with teddies and dolls. Staff sensitively join them and link to recent events, such as the arrival of new siblings, to help children practically explore these life experiences.
• Children gain the confidence and skills to express themselves. Staff encourage children's conversations and speak clearly to babies to help them learn new words. Babies show confidence to call staff by name and use the names of their little friends with support. Toddlers enjoy story time and singing sessions. They smile and giggle as they jump while staff sing the 'jumping bean' song. However, not all adult-led activities and routines in the younger age groups are thoroughly planned and implemented. At times, staff do not minimise distractions for their focused group times and ensure that daily routines are well-coordinated to fully support children's attention, engagement and learning.
• Staff have good relationships with parents. Leaders continue to improve their processes to help staff's sharing of information be more effective and efficient. Parents appreciate the nursery's new online communication app and the information that staff share on this, keeping them up to date with what their children are doing. Regular meetings and conversations are also undertaken with parents, as well as staff linking with other professionals involved with children to help contribute to a shared approach.
• Leaders conduct regular meetings with the staff team for the ongoing evaluation of the provision. Morale is high with staff. They feel listened to and are supported to undertake regular training and qualifications. However, leaders do not ensure that senior staff have the confidence to lead the newer and less experienced staff in their team. This leads to inconsistencies in the teaching and support children receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's support for children to learn how to manage their emotions and interact appropriately with each other, extending their social skills further
• support staff to more effectively plan routines and group times to ensure children's continued listening, attention and engagement
• help build senior staff's confidence and skills in leading the less experienced staff, enhancing the teaching and support children receive.