St Wilfrids

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff build good relationships with children and help them to feel happy and safe. Staff spend time getting to know the children and their families and focus on building close relationships. Children who have only just started to attend the setting separate easily from their parents due to the warm welcome they receive. Staff support children in resolving conflicts effectively. They get down to the children's level and work with them to find a resolution. This helps children to understand what is expected from them. Staff provide children with praise and encouragement, recognising the efforts that children make. This helps children to grow in confidence and self-esteem.

Staff have high expectations of children. They create a stimulating play environment where children take pleasure in investigating and exploring. Children are eager to learn; they immerse themselves in activities and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Children enjoy using their imagination as they play with dinosaurs. Staff are attentive to children and listen carefully to what they have to say. Children invite staff to join in their play. Staff use this opportunity to extend children's knowledge. They join in with children playing in the sand and add water, creating opportunities for children to observe the effect of the water. Children demonstrate wonder and curiosity.

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

• The provider is clear about the knowledge and skills they want children to learn. They work closely with staff to teach children a broad range of skills, building on their existing abilities effectively. This helps children to make good progress in their learning and development and be ready for their next stage of learning.
• The setting has a good curriculum aimed at developing children's physical skills. Children climb up onto the slide and glide down; they ride along on toy cars using their leg muscles to manoeuvre, and push prams around. This helps children to move their whole bodies with control and supports them to be physically active.
• Staff support children to develop their personal, social and emotional skills. They give explanations to children about how they need to be kind to each other and how their actions can upset others. This helps children learn how to interact with others.
• Staff teach children new language and support them to develop a love of books. Children enjoy joining in with nursery rhymes and staff use new words, such as 'squishy' and 'bumpy'. However, sometimes staff ask children too many questions and do not give children enough time to reply. This means children cannot always use their language to explain their ideas.
• Partnerships with parents are good. The leaders and staff talk to parents about their children's learning on a daily basis and hold meetings to talk about children's progress. Staff and parents work together to improve outcomes for children.
• Staff provide children with a good range of experiences to support their understanding of the world. Children grow tomatoes, carrots and sunflowers and learn about what these plants need to stay alive. This supports children's understanding about where food comes from and what is needed to help things survive in nature.
• Staff help children develop the muscles in their hands and strength in their fingers. Children play with dough and can competently use rolling pins and shape cutters to manipulate it. This helps children to develop the skills they need for early writing.
• Staff encourage children to develop their mathematical knowledge. As children play, staff teach them the names of shapes and colours. This helps children to be aware of the features of the objects they are using.
• Staff help children learn about healthy lifestyles. They read books together about going to the dentist and wash their hands before they eat snacks. This helps children learn about the importance of healthy teeth and good hygiene.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with time to listen, think and respond, to further support their thought processes and communication and language skills.