Sweetcroft Day Care

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a welcoming environment. This helps children feel valued and safe. Staff greet children warmly when they arrive. They ask parents about their children's well-being and health, to ensure they can tailor children's care to their daily needs.

Leaders set aims for children's learning that are well matched to the ages and stages of development of the children who attend. For example, they are clear about the importance of children's emotional, physical and language development. There is an expectation that throughout the nursery these areas will form the basis for the curriculum, with an especially strong focus on these areas with the very youngest children. Staff understand these broad aims and focus many of their interactions effectively on these key skills. For example, throughout the nursery staff speak clearly to children, repeating back what they say and adding new words and phrases to extend further children's vocabulary. The 'family feel' of the nursery is evident, especially in the warm relationships staff build with children. Staff go about their day happily and positively and their enthusiasm has a positive impact on the children, who show they are keen and eager to learn.

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

• Staff offer children lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills. Outside, staff build dens with children, encouraging them to move and balance sticks and logs. Inside, children have regular access to a soft-play area, where they can practise their climbing skills. Children of all ages enjoy playing with dough and other sensory materials. Through these activities they begin to build control, agility and muscle strength.
• Staff understand broadly what children need to be taught and when. However, leaders are not fully successful at ensuring staff consistently use this knowledge well to plan specific activities and resources. This leads to times when staff plan activities that are not best focused on what different ages of children most need to learn next. For example, sometimes staff plan activities based around writing letters and numbers before children have developed the muscle control they need to be able to do so.
• Children show they are learning well from learning experiences that happen regularly. For example, older children benefit from well organised, regular opportunities to learn about different sounds in the environment, which prepare them well for later learning at school about letters and the sounds they represent. Children join in these activities enthusiastically. They use what they remember to make different sounds, and listen to instructions.
• Overall, routines are well embedded. Older children know what they will be doing at different times of the day and understand what is expected of them.
• However, sometimes staff working with babies and very young children do not best prepare these children for changes in activities. For example, staff start singing or reading to children before they have helped them sit, settle and be ready. At these times, some children become a little unsettled. Staff offer lots of comfort, but useful learning opportunities are lost.
• Children behave well at nursery. Staff are consistent in their messages about acceptable behaviour and use daily routines well to teach children what is expected of them. Staff working with older children teach them well how to wait a turn and that sometimes not all children can have a turn at everything in the same day. They reassure children that if they do not have a turn this time they will next. This helps children learn about fairness and to have reasonable expectations.
• Staff encourage children to follow healthy and hygienic routines. These promote children's good health. Children learn to wash their hands before mealtimes. They learn about the importance of brushing their teeth regularly. They are encouraged to enjoy energetic play outside.
• Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff work well with parents when children have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff ensure they have the information they need about particular needs, so they can make adaptations to routines or equipment to ensure all children can join in, be safe and learn well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• monitor the implementation of the curriculum more closely, so staff can be supported to ensure activities and learning experiences more consistently match the identified curriculum intent
• improve how babies and very young children are prepared for changes in activities so they can focus well, join in and get the most from the learning experiences on offer.