Superkids Levenshulme

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff create a warm, welcoming and safe environment. Children enter happily and are quickly absorbed in play and learning experiences. Staff know that children learn best when they feel safe and secure. They take the time to get to know the children and their interests. Babies and toddlers seek out key staff for comfort when new people are in their room. Staff talk to them in calm, soothing voices, which helps them to settle quickly. Children enjoy the opportunities to spend time with their friends. They enjoy working collaboratively with one another. For example, children offer each other guidance and support as they make pretend birthday cakes.

Staff are positive role models and have realistic expectations for children's behaviour. Children behave well. Staff help children learn to take turns and share resources. They offer children gentle reminders about conduct, alongside a wealth of praise. Children are kind to one another.

Staff support children to understand their own feelings. This builds children's confidence and helps them to take pride in their achievements. Staff encourage children to be independent from a young age. Toddlers collect their plate and cutlery for lunch and safely carry them to the table. Staff help children to develop their self-care skills. For example, children see to their own toileting needs. Children learn to put on their coats and help tidy away the resources. This helps children to grow in independence.

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

• Leaders have created a balanced curriculum and have clear intentions of what they want children to learn. However, the curriculum intent is not consistently implemented. For example, staff are not always clear on what children need to learn and why. This means that children's learning is sometimes limited.
• Staff build positive relationships with local schools to help support children's transition into Reception class. However, staff do not always make links with other settings that children attend. This does not help to promote consistency in their learning.
• Leaders and staff build positive relationships with parents. They work in partnership with them to help ensure children's needs are met. Staff provide some ideas for parents to carry out at home. As a result, parents are able to support their children's learning at home.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Staff work collaboratively with parents, other agencies and professionals to ensure that children get the help and assistance they need. This means that children with SEND make steady and sustained progress.
• Staff encourage children to develop good listening skills. They regularly introduce new words, such as 'stomp' and 'hydration station', to help extend children's vocabulary. As a result, children develop the confidence to use these words and phrases in their play.
• Staff use various voting systems to help children make choices. For example, they encourage children to vote on what activity they would like to do next. As a result, children value and respect each other's opinions.
• Babies are provided with an extensive range of sensory activities that encourage them to explore and become inquisitive learners. They thoroughly enjoy playing with breakfast cereal in the heavy duty plastic tray. They giggle in delight as they crumble this in their hands and attempt to put it into the cups and bowls. These delightful activities give babies the confidence to explore the world around them.
• Staff weave songs and stories into the activities. For example, staff sing to the babies to help them settle to sleep. Children enjoy listening to a favourite story and eagerly answer questions about what will happen next. This helps children to engage in conversations and extend their vocabulary.
• Children are provided with opportunities to help them to develop an awareness of mathematics. They are increasingly confident to count and use language, such as 'more' or 'less than', to describe what they are seeing. Children are beginning to recognise shapes and number in the environment. Overall, children's early mathematical skills are progressing well.
• Staff help children to learn about the importance of good health and hygiene. Children understand the importance of washing their hands before meals or after going to the toilet. Staff help children learn how to brush their teeth and maintain good oral health. Children benefit from lots of opportunities to stay fit and well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build links with the other settings that children attend to help promote continuity in their learning
• help staff to implement the curriculum consistently to support children's learning.