St Paul's Childcare CIO

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting happy and are welcomed by the friendly and enthusiastic staff team. They display a strong sense of belonging as they independently hang their coat and bag on their named peg. Young children quickly settle into their chosen play. They are supported by staff who sit alongside them, offering plenty of praise and encouragement. Children delight in the role-play opportunities on offer. They pretend to make cups of tea and feed the dolls. Children access a broad curriculum which staff skilfully plan around themes, such as popular books and stories. They listen to stories read aloud by staff and choose to revisit these stories throughout the day. Young children involve story characters as they explore sand in the sensory tray. Children are familiar with storylines and correctly identify characters by name. They describe them and confidently point out that 'his eyes are orange'. Children benefit from daily opportunities to explore the outdoor learning environment. They develop the muscles in their hands as they mould clay to create characters from the story. Children collect different natural items from the ground, such as acorns, leaves and twigs. They think about what is best to use for different features. For example, children decide to break a twig into small pieces to make the prickles for the character's back.

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

• The manager has supported staff through a number of changes, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a restructuring of leadership and staffing. She places a strong focus on staffs' well-being and has recently appointed a member of staff as a mental health champion. Staff state that they feel valued by leaders and managers. They explain how they share their ideas about the curriculum and feel they can talk to the manager if they are unsure or concerned about anything personally or professionally.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive tailor-made support to ensure their individual needs are met. The manager works well with other professionals, such as specialist health services to ensure children continue to access the external support they may need during their time at the setting. Staff receive specialist training to ensure they are equipped and confident to support children with SEND.
• The manager is reflective and has a clear vision of what they do well and what they need to improve. She plans to extend opportunities for outings to promote children's understanding of the wider world and to promote their confidence outside of the setting.
• Children participate in community events, such as harvest festival celebrations at the adjoining church. Staff bring children together as a group to prepare them for this. They talk about the routine of the event and practise singing action songs. However, staff do not always consider how to make sure group activities meet the needs of the youngest children. At times, young children become a little overwhelmed as they are expected to participate in activities for extended periods.
• Overall, staff support children's independence well. For example, younger children are encouraged to find their own coats and have a go at putting them on, before going to play outside. However, opportunities to fully promote older children's independence are sometimes overlooked. For example, at snack time, staff hand out children's cups, pour their drinks and serve them food, when children are capable of having a go at this themselves.
• Children are active and have lots of opportunities to play outside each day. They learn to manage risks safely and develop their strength, balance and coordination as they play on a large climbing frame. Younger children take turns to play with ride-on cars. They use their imagination as they pretend to drive through the 'car wash'.
• Staff form effective partnerships with parents. They have daily discussions with them at drop-off and collection times, and share a range of information and photographs in children's online learning journals. Parent feedback is highly complimentary. They value their welcome each morning by the 'friendly and smiley staff' and comment on the nurturing approach to children's emotional development. Parents comment on the wonderful early friendships their children form during their time at the setting.
• Leaders and managers complete observations of staff's practice and offer ongoing feedback. However, the programme for coaching and mentoring staff is not always targeted as precisely as possible to identify professional development opportunities and raise staffs' knowledge to the highest level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• fully consider the needs of the youngest children during whole-group activities to promote their engagement and enjoyment to the same extent as their older peers
• enhance opportunities during daily routines for children to do more for themselves to further develop their independence skills
• strengthen systems in place for the coaching and mentoring of staff to target professional development opportunities and raise staffs' knowledge to the highest level.