Squirrels Of Haselworth

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children run in excitedly to find their key person at Squirrels Of Haselworth. Their enthusiasm and sheer joy at being at the setting is plain to see. Children are thrilled to see their friends. They are highly effective communicators, who play cooperatively with each other. Children enjoy exploring seaweed, sharing exciting stories, playing games and taking part in activities. They show high levels of engagement as they play and learn. Children are self-motivated and extremely well behaved.

Children are resilient and are developing strategies to help them consider different ways of approaching tasks. They keep on trying even when they find something difficult. Children very confidently find their own resources and solve their own problems. They take obvious pride in their achievements and beam with delight as they solve puzzles and cut up their own fruit for snacks.

Children are exceptionally confident. They introduce visitors to the setting to their friends and the staff team. Children flourish in the warm and attentive care they receive from staff. Staff have high expectations for all children. Children develop many 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?

• There is a clear and ambitious vision for the setting, shared by managers and staff. The staff team work very effectively together to support children's care and learning. There is a strong focus on continually developing and improving the quality of the setting. The garden, for example, has undergone extensive work to create a stimulating and inviting learning environment for children. Children enthusiastically explore the many areas, resources and activities that staff plan to support their learning.
• Staff readily identify children who need additional support for their learning. They implement highly effective plans to help close gaps in children's learning. Staff are skilled at making sure that learning is targeted at the right level to help children. They ask some children thought-provoking questions, encouraging their thinking skills, and use visual support for those children who need more help. All children are learning to be confident communicators.
• Children enjoy many activities to support their physical development. They climb and slide, dig sand, water tomato plants, thread laces through holes and paint the fences. Staff recognise children need the opportunity to be physically active every day.
• Staff are very positive role models for the children. Children show exceptional manners, such as asking staff politely to help them move resources from the end of the slide.
• Staff are engaging storytellers. They read fast and slowly, varying their voices to hook children in to the exciting stories they read. Children listen attentively and join in enthusiastically with the familiar words. Staff introduce children to new words, explaining what they mean. They carefully consider how to make the best use of books throughout the learning environment to support children's early reading skills. Books about animals are close by the small-world figures, for example, inviting children to explore the pictures of their favourite animals.
• Mathematics is included in all areas of the learning environment. Staff skilfully ask children to turn the knob on the cereal holder three times, matching the turns to the dots and numbers displayed on the dispenser. They count with children and encourage them to order log slices by size as they play. Children are developing a good understanding of basic mathematical skills.
• At times, not all staff support children to be as independent as they could be. They sometimes complete tasks that children could manage themselves. This occasionally limits what children can achieve independently.
• Children enjoy activities with staff in small groups, such as listening activities to support their communication and understanding. However, large groups are not as supportive of children's learning. The younger children are not always engaged and find it hard to listen and join in.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to consider the effectiveness of large-group activities in supporting children's learning, particularly for the younger children
• support staff to consistently help children develop their independence skills.