The Children's House

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and vibrant as they enter the setting. They show eagerness and enthusiasm about their learning and are very keen to participate in all activities that are available. Children thrive in this highly inviting and stimulating environment. Children's learning is tailored to their individual needs and capabilities, and they acquire appropriate skills for when they start school. Inclusive practice is excellent and the provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exceptional. Children's personal, social and emotional development are very well supported, with children's well-being a primary focus of the setting. Children develop close attachments to the caring and nurturing staff team. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure at the setting. Children behave remarkably well. They form strong friendships with one another and show a willingness to help each other with tasks.

Children benefit from a highly ambitious curriculum that incorporates the seven areas of early learning following the Montessori approach. Children are encouraged to explore sensory activities. For example, babies investigate the foam tray, toddlers play with play dough, and pre-school children engage in finger painting. Children learn about life cycles and how butterflies develop, when they are developmentally ready. They experience activities, including looking at live caterpillars, participating in small discussion groups and opportunities to read along with books to support and embed children's learning.

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

• The extremely dedicated leadership and management team lead by example. They offer continuous support, encouragement and guidance to the highly qualified staff team. Excellent practices promote staff's well-being. This includes development and training opportunities in the setting, as well as additional opportunities for discussions and reflection. Staff comment that they feel valued and appreciated. They complete questionnaires and share their views and ideas during team meetings.
• The setting is highly inclusive. Children with SEND excel in their development. Staff work in partnership with other professionals and help children to focus their learning. Children who arrive at the setting with lower speech, language and social skills make remarkable progress and develop strong friendships with others. They work together and are happy for others to join in their play. Staff provide additional one-to-one speech and language support, and use visual prompts to support learning and encourage children's understanding of objects.
• Partnership working with parents is a strength of the setting. Parents compliment the commitment of staff and how well they support children in their development. They are invited to contribute to children's 'special books'. Staff and children then talk about different families and share photographs of special events and people. Parents are provided with information about what children are learning about at the setting as well as daily care routines.
• Children are provided with healthy, nutritious meals and snacks. Outside, children run, jump, skip, climb on the climbing apparatus, play in the sandpit and mix and stir in the mud kitchen. Older children also push prams and buggies as well as ride trikes and other wheeled toys. Young children learn how to kick and throw balls with accuracy and manipulate play dough. Older children show excellent levels of concentration and hand-to-eye coordination when using scissors to cut along lines printed on paper. They manoeuvre their fingers around printed dots on paper after dipping them in paint. Older children are encouraged to enhance their core strength and balancing skills by walking backwards and forwards along chalked lines on the floor.
• Staff significantly follow children's interests in their play. They introduce technological equipment, including a computer with mouse controls, and encourage children to talk about their likes and dislikes. Children are exposed to rich and complex vocabulary and join in with conversations. This helps to promote their listening and attention skills.
• Children's independence skills are very well supported. For example, children are able to access clothing items from the dressing-up box and put them on. They self-select their own resources and equipment. Children's development and independence are considered appropriately, according to their capabilities and maturity, before moving to the next room. This promotes their self-awareness, self-confidence and resilience.