Temple Sutton Early Years

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide children with a broad, rich curriculum that provides them with opportunities to be independent, to problem solve, make choices and lead their own play. Therefore in the garden, children work together to figure out how to jump off of climbing equipment safely. Children are highly curious and inquisitive. They select activities of interest. Children proudly show skills they have learned. For example, children demonstrate how they use tools to make different shaped sandcastles.

Staff are highly responsive to children. They engage in dialogue with children, and watch, listen and respond to them. They encourage children to express their thoughts and use new words. As a result of this language rich environment, children consistently use new vocabulary that enables them to communicate effectively.

Staff expertly support children to manage their own behaviour. They role model how to share resources and support children to gain the skills needed to resolve conflict with peers. When disagreements arise, staff work with children to discuss what is happening and find a solution. Children demonstrate they understand the rules and boundaries of the setting and that they know the staff are there to support. Children behave impeccably as a result.

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

• Staff place children and their families at the centre of everything they do. They provide support in a number of different ways. For example, they have an on-site counsellor who works with both staff and families to offer additional support that may be required. Staff also take an active role in a number of local initiatives that are in place to support families. Staff establish strong relationships with parents and use this knowledge to signpost them to agencies that can help.
• Staff have created a highly inclusive environment for all children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are expertly supported by highly knowledgeable staff who are passionate about their work with children. Clear and carefully constructed individual support plans support children to make excellent progress. These are regularly reviewed and shared with parents. Strong partnerships with other professionals and settings help to ensure children get the tailored support they need.
• Staff have a clear plan for what they want children to learn at each stage of their learning. They have created an ambitious curriculum which supports children to build upon what they know and can do. Trips and outings are carefully planned to enrich children's knowledge of their local community.
• Children's achievements and work are celebrated by all staff. Younger children smile in delight at the stamps they are given for completing tasks and older children proudly talk about what they have in their 'proud cloud'.
• Staff have worked hard to create a highly effective, collaborative approach with parents to involve them in their child's learning. Home visits help to build strong partnerships with parents from before the children start in the setting. Parents praise staff for how they go above and beyond to identify any concerns with children's learning and how they put support in place to support all children, including those with SEND to make excellent progress. Children's speech and language development is a priority for the setting and parents praise staff for how they identify any speech delays and support children to acquire and use language to communicate.
• Staff consistently report high levels of support for their well-being from a supportive leadership team. They are a well-established team who work well together. Regular training is utilised to enable staff to support their continuous professional development.
• Staff are highly reflective. They use research, audit visits and training to evaluate the effectiveness of the provision and make necessary changes. For example, changes to the garden were made to create a more purposeful learning environment for all children.
• Children's safety is prioritised and carefully managed through robust safeguarding and health and safety policies and procedures, which are regularly reviewed. The setting has created a proactive way of staff gaining knowledge of different safeguarding topics, by giving staff an area each to research and share information about with their colleagues.