Sticky Fingers Tiny School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and eager to learn in this homely setting. They thoroughly enjoy playing together and make good choices in their play and learning. Outside, younger children explore the natural environment and lead their own play. Staff enhance this play by skilfully interacting with children. Children are supported by staff to use their imagination. For example, they build a dinosaur bridge with crates and wooden planks. Younger children balance across the bridge and look to their trusted adult to help them if they wobble. All children show care and sensitivity towards each other, staff and the environment. Older children pour each other a drink at the dinner table while talking about what they like to eat.

Leaders and staff have ambition for every child and plan activities and experiences to help them achieve the best they can. They use their knowledge of the children's individual learning needs to plan the curriculum they offer. For example, in physical development, children squeeze, squash and mould the play dough to develop their muscles, preparing them to master a pincer grip. Parents are full of praise for the nursery and delight in their child's progress.

Staff encourage children's language and vocabulary. When digging in the allotment, children talk about the roots of the plant as it leaves the soil. Children understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, they listen carefully and follow instructions while toasting marshmallows around the fire.

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

• Leaders and staff harness nature and the outdoor environment in every aspect of the curriculum. Children arrange the colours of flowers as they plant them, play in the water and show fascination in the hand pump. In the wider grounds, they show great concern as they safely bury a dead mouse and pick flowers for the grave.
• The curriculum for communication and language is highly effective. Leaders and staff place great emphasis on developing children's speaking and listening skills. They model new words as they describe what they are doing. All children and staff enjoy sharing songs and stories together. Staff carefully choose songs to enhance children's play. They sing 'it's raining, it's pouring' as they sprinkle the hose pipe in the water.
• Despite the staffing challenges posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the leader expertly mentors and deploys the staff to ensure children have high-quality teaching throughout the day. The leader recognises staff's strengths and areas for development and use these to plan meaningful supervision and training. Staff speak highly of this mentorship programme and show their enthusiasm and thirst for professional development.
• The vision and ethos of the setting are clearly communicated by the leader. They are implemented effectively and shared by the whole staff team. The kind and caring approach is also shared by the children, who consistently show positive behaviour. If a minor conflict occurs, children resolve it quickly and staff offer support to help them recognise how it makes them feel.
• Leaders skilfully plan the environment to build on what children already know and can do. Children's physical development is carefully considered and planned for. The garden design includes small mounds for the younger children to explore through crawling, toddling and rolling. Children navigate the space well and gain confidence in themselves by observing their older peers.
• Leaders and staff are highly aware of children's needs and individual family circumstances. They tailor the support they offer to ensure children's needs are being met. Staff actively seek support and work closely with other agencies. This means all children, and specifically those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are accessing the support they need to make the best start in life. The on-site school staff confirm that their joint working successfully supports children's individual needs. Parents comment on leaders going 'above and beyond to help in any way they can' and the nursery being 'aware of and responsive' to their child's needs.
• Leaders plan experiences to help enrich children's lives and broaden their horizons. Before COVID-19, they worked with the local farmer to celebrate bonfire night with children and their families. During COVID-19, leaders have considered how children can still learn about the world around them. Children have used technology to reach out to grandparents who are isolating and share their experience of planting flowers and vegetables.