Sun Beams

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed into the setting by the warm and friendly staff. Parents are given time to share any information regarding their children at the start of the day, ensuring any individual needs are met. Children start their day by eagerly exploring their environment. They engage in role play in the construction area, wearing hard hats, pretending to be builders. Other children develop their early writing skills as they make marks with pencils at the writing station. Children who prefer to learn outside have plenty of opportunities to be physically active as they ride bicycles up and down the well-resourced outside area.

Children learn how to play cooperatively together. Staff act as good role models, and they gently support children to take turns and share equipment. This helps the children to form strong friendships with each other and learn how to behave. Children gather in the home corner and set out a tea party together, pouring tea and serving cakes to their friends.

Children begin to understand what makes them unique as they share stories about their weekend activities during 'group time'. Children listen intently as a whole group and give a round of applause to show their appreciation. This supports children to grow in confidence and promotes their self-esteem.

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

• Children have access to a varied range of resources that cover the seven areas of learning. Staff support children to develop an early understanding of mathematical concepts, such as counting and measuring, using rulers. Children learn the words for numbers as they count dots on pictures of dice. They draw around their hands and count their fingers. Children demonstrate high levels of concentration as they use rulers to measure lines on paper.
• Most staff have a clear understanding of the delivery of the curriculum, and interactions with children are positive and support their learning. They ask questions to help children think. For example, staff ask the children what the apple feels like as they use it to make marks with paint. Staff support children to develop skills, such as listening to instructions, as they play with bean bags and baskets. On occasion, some staff interactions are not always meaningful with children in their play and learning.
• Staff use a number of strategies to ensure that literacy and reading is promoted throughout the setting. For instance, a well-stocked reading corner provides a cosy space for children to explore books. Staff are readily on hand to share stories with children as they read their favourite story about the three bears. Staff use a 'book of the week' to embed children's knowledge, and resources, such as story sacks, are used to animate storytelling. As a result, children quickly develop a love for reading.
• Staff ensure that children who speak English as an additional language are fully supported. They use visual cues, sign language and resources, such as 'talking pens', to help children understand routines and to support learning. Parents receive support from interpreters during meetings and correspondence is translated. This ensures that they fully understand their children's developmental progress and can continue the learning at home.
• Staff promote children's independence at every opportunity. Children attend to their own self-care needs. They wash their hands at the handwashing station in preparation for snack. They enjoy choosing fruit independently and skilfully learn to pour their own drinks. This gives children the skills to be successful as they move on to the next stage of their education.
• Leaders understand their responsibilities. A recently reviewed training programme ensures that all staff receive training to meet the needs of the children. For instance, staff are undertaking more focused training on working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to further support children. Staff receive regular supervision to discuss their progress and development. However, at times, leaders do not foster a positive culture to support practitioners to improve their personal effectiveness.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• monitor practice more closely to help support staff to engage children more effectively in meaningful and purposeful play
• strengthen supervision meetings to truly foster a culture of support for staff well-being.