Sylvia's Happy Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Friendly staff welcome the children into this nurturing setting. The children become excited as they explore the play environment. They seek out their friends and favourite toys. The staff build good attachments with the children and offer them praise and celebrate their achievements. This develops children's confidence and self-esteem. Children's behaviour is excellent. They show a good attitude to learning and a willingness to give things a go. Staff are good role models. They use manners and gentle reminders for children, such as using 'kind hands' and 'indoor voices'. Staff encourage older children to resolve conflicts themselves. For example, children can be heard telling others that they 'have to be kind' and that 'it's not nice to push'. This helps children to manage their feelings and behaviours and understand the impact they can have on others.

Children know the expectations at lunchtime, patiently waiting for their turn to wash their hands. Older children are learning to be independent, such as confidently using their knife and fork to cut their food and pouring their own water. Babies sit together at the table and are encouraged to feed themselves with a spoon and fork. These routines teach children to become increasingly self-sufficient.

Children enjoy familiar stories and songs. For example, babies are excited to join in with the song 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm' by pulling out animal puppets from a bag and placing them on the farm. Older children participate in an interactive elf story and listen closely so that they know when to join in. Staff read to children with enthusiasm, and children relish opportunities to actively participate, joining in with the rhyming language in books and anticipating what is happening in the story.

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

• Children are making good progress. Managers and staff provide a curriculum that focuses on their understanding of children's development and what they need to learn next.
• Staff interact well and offer children support and guidance. This helps to extend children's concentration and engagement. However, at times, during adult-led activities, some staff do not always differentiate their teaching to meet all children's individual learning needs. This results in some children not being sufficiently challenged.
• Children delight in conversations with adults and each other, contributing proudly during circle time. For example, children share what happens on a trip to the doctor for a vaccination. Children show they are confident to speak and communicate with enthusiasm.
• Staff prepare children well for their transition within the nursery and in readiness for starting school. Younger children confidently communicate their needs and feelings to staff. Older children enjoy engaging in discussions and answering questions to help them become confident communicators. Children learn to manage tasks for themselves to build their independence, such as registering themselves on arrival and clearing away their plates and cups after lunch.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to provide individual focused targets that support their additional needs. As a result, children with SEND are making the best possible progress.
• The nursery is clean and well maintained, and good cleaning routines are in place to maintain a hygienic environment. Staff teach children the importance of handwashing routines to support healthy lifestyles. The nursery provides freshly prepared meals every day according to children's dietary needs.
• Children follow instructions well. For example, they listen as staff explain how they need to make a circle to give everyone sufficient space to move about in. Children follow directions as they work out how to do this by themselves.
• The strong and efficient management team monitors the quality of the provision effectively to identify and make continuous improvements. This includes providing a programme of training for the staff team. Parents provide extremely positive feedback, particularly regarding how well key persons know their children and how well staff communicate with them on a daily basis, including the weekly newsletters.
• Staff gather information about each child when they start at the nursery. They carry out regular assessments of children to gain a better understanding of their development, including the written assessment for children aged between two and three. Staff use this information to plan activities and experiences to ensure that children are meeting their expectations in all areas of their development. Children make good progress from their starting points, and staff share information regularly with parents to keep them updated with their ongoing achievements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to develop the implementation of the curriculum, particularly during adult-led activities, to target teaching more precisely and to offer all children appropriate levels of challenge.