Teddy Bear Corner

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provider has ensured that the necessary improvements have been made in the setting since the last inspection. Babies have a dedicated space to play with appropriate resources and equipment to support their individual care and learning needs. Children are happy on arrival at the setting. They receive a warm welcome from familiar staff and settle in quickly to play with their friends. Children form close relationships with staff and readily go to them for play, cuddles and reassurance, which staff give in abundance. This helps children to feel safe and secure in their care. Staff arrange the play environment to consider the current learning needs of all children, including those who need additional support or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, young babies can successfully pull themselves to a standing position, using well-placed furniture.

Staff have an improved understanding of how to implement the learning for children. They consider their interests when preparing activities and include the learning they need in their play interactions with children. Children show high levels of engagement in activities, such as story times. They are eager to contribute their ideas on what might happen next. Staff use regular opportunities to hold interesting discussions with toddlers, which help them to practise their speaking as they talk about events from home that relate to the story about a spider. Children behave well. They respond well to staff's gentle reminders to use 'kind hands'. Children receive timely praise for their positive behaviours. This helps them to know the behaviour that is expected of them. Children gain the skills and understanding to prepare them for the next stage of their learning.

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

• The setting's curriculum is ambitious and shows clear intentions for what they want children to achieve. The learning is well sequenced to ensure all children build on what they know and can do. However, when children first start, staff do not make the most use of the information that can be gained from parents. Details about children's prior learning may help staff to decide what they are ready to learn next and plan for this learning from the outset.
• The monitoring of all children's learning has improved. Where children have identified or emerging learning needs, staff are proactive in liaising with parents and seeking guidance or referring to more specialist support from outside professionals. Staff use additional programmes, such as to support communication and language, to provide targeted help that is needed. As a result, children make positive progress from their starting points.
• Staff promote communication and language development well. They use regular stories, songs and rhymes for children to enjoy. For example, babies sing the words they know and follow the actions. The oldest children have fun while they help to retell a story about a popular forest creature. They use props to represent the different characters and know the sequence of the story well. Staff use correct speech and sentence structure for children to hear. They give ample time for children to talk and share their thoughts and predictions for what happens next.
• Children show increasing independence in their self-help skills. For example, they master feeding themselves with appropriate cutlery as soon as they are capable. Toddlers manage their personal care and build on these skills to dress themselves with little support. The oldest children learn how to care for resources and help to tidy away toys.
• Children have fun and develop their physical skills in a range of ways. For example, babies giggle when they crawl at speed through a tunnel to meet staff at the other end. Toddlers strengthen their grasp and their wrists while digging in the sand. Older children play cooperatively, using their problem-solving skills to build a bridge across a river. They organise themselves to take turns to practise their balance while they walk across their bridge.
• Managers ensure that staff receive the training and guidance they need to enable them to fulfil the duties that are required of them. However, there is scope to provide staff with more consistent opportunities to reflect on their practice to contribute to their continuing professional development, so that they gain the most from their training and learning experiences.
• Parents speak highly of the setting and comment on how friendly and approachable all staff are. They are especially pleased with how their children have grown in terms of their confidence, speech and overall development. They value the information they receive about their child's care and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• gain further details from parents about children's prior learning when they first start to help decide what children are ready to learn next and prepare for this learning from the outset
• build further on the support and guidance provided to staff to ensure they have time to reflect and contribute towards their continuing professional development.