Swans Care and Education

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children dance into the setting happy and confident to start their day. Staff form remarkably strong bonds with children. They provide even the youngest children with ample opportunities to make independent choices. For example, they consult children before completing any personal care. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, demonstrate that they feel highly valued and secure in this setting. Staff create a learning environment where parents state that all children thrive. Staff's enthusiasm and love for the children help them to peak children's interest in every opportunity they provide for them. As soon as a member of staff takes a book off the shelf, babies eagerly sit to listen to the story. Children are keen and develop positive attitudes to learning. Staff spend quality time teaching children to be respectful of others. For example, when children are struggling to express their thoughts and emotions, staff work with them to think about how to best approach the situation. Children are developing skills such as empathy and respect.

Staff provide children with a variety of awe-provoking experiences. Children in the under-twos room enthusiastically interact with staff as they play in the sand and fill containers, pretending to serve drinks. Older children excitedly make planets using papier mâché as staff build on the children's prior learning of the solar system. Staff skilfully support children in all areas of their learning.

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

• The manager has designed a curriculum intent that is tailored to meet the individual needs of the children. Staff are highly attuned to the children's needs. They are reflective and adapt the way they deliver the curriculum to respond to the learning needs of the children. This helps all children to make good progress.
• Staff support children to thrive in their mathematical development. They use everyday experiences to introduce children to mathematical concepts, such as size, shape and weight. Children confidently demonstrate their understanding as they correctly identify the long and short pasta in their play dough models. Children's mathematical skills are developing well.
• Staff immerse children in an impressive range of experiences that promote their physical development. Babies exhibit confidence as they independently use the indoor slide. Other children successfully navigate through obstacle courses during 'stretch and grow' sessions. Staff help children build their muscles through these sessions. Children are quickly developing their small- and large-muscle movements.
• Children engage in an abundance of literacy experiences. They have continuous access to mark-making resources that they use to develop their early writing skills. Throughout the nursery, children can be seen snuggling up on staff's knees to engage in a story or independently choosing a book to read themselves. Children are developing a love of reading.
• Some aspects of the curriculum for communication and language are not implemented consistently. Staff ask older children thought-provoking questions. They engage babies in singing throughout all their experiences. However, sometimes, staff provide too much commentary. This makes it hard for children to process what has been said and form a verbal response.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and portray this to all the children. Children develop a sense of security as they know what is happening now and what is coming next. The consistency helps children to manage their behaviour as they have a strong understanding of what is expected of them.
• Promoting individuality and an understanding of the world is given a very high priority. Children learn about what makes them unique and how these differences are their 'superpowers'. Staff also help the children gain a deep understanding of other cultures. For example, they learn some Mandarin using videos that staff have encouraged parents to share, to help children understand about different spoken languages. Children still speak about the Chinese festival dragon they helped to create and named 'Pong Lee'. These exceptionally well-thought-out experiences help to prepare children for life in modern Britain.
• Immense consideration is given to children's health and well-being. Staff make excellent use of stories, such as 'The Colour Monster', to help children express their feelings and demonstrate them through their play. Staff skilfully encourage healthy habits with inventive strategies. For example, they have introduced 'water super stars', which encourages children to drink more water. Children learn how to independently keep themselves healthy.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently implement the curriculum for communication and language to help further develop children's speaking skills.