The Hilltoppers

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in this nurturing nursery. Staff take the time to get to know children well and develop positive relationships. As a result, children are engaged in their play and make good progress. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. They are able to access the setting and the opportunities that staff provide for them. The staff work well with parents and wider professionals so that specific programmes of support can be implemented swiftly for children with SEND.

Staff organise the environment so that children have access to a wide variety of stimulating resources and activities that ignite their curiosity. For example, children use natural resources, such as stone and twigs. The older children use real-life resources, such as porcelain plates and cups and glass jars, for role play in the home corner. This helps children to confidently explore and play effectively.

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

• The curriculum is well designed and carefully considers children's interests and home lives. Staff carry out observations and assessments of children's development. They know what children can do and what they need to learn next. For example, they recognise that many children have limited access to outdoor play. As a result, staff provide many opportunities for children to learn outside so that they learn about the world around them.
• Staff promote children's physical development. For example, babies are given many opportunities to develop their physical skills, pulling themselves up and holding hands with staff as they start learning to walk. However, staff do not consistently plan and develop physical activities outside. For example, outside, toddlers are provided with opportunities to develop pulling, pushing and climbing skills, but sometimes, activities do not provide sufficient challenge to build on what children are capable of.
• Staff support children well to gain good communication and language skills. Good arrangements are in place to support children who speak English as an additional language. For example, staff find out about and use vocabulary from children's home languages. They make very good use of repeated activities, including songs and rhymes, to make language memorable. Children copy and use these words in their play, helping to expand their vocabulary.
• Staff promote children's understanding of oral health. For example, they cover topics, such as 'People that help us', where children are engaged in learning about the role of a dentist. Staff provide parents with information about oral health. For example, staff signpost parents to local dentists. Staff encourage children to drink from open cups rather than water bottles. Children are provided with water, milk and nutritious food. This helps children to learn about how to keep themselves healthy.
• Staff value working in partnership with parents. They gather clear information to ensure children's individual needs are met and to build on their prior knowledge and skills. Parents report that they receive regular updates via an online platform and that they feel well informed about their children's daily experiences. Partnerships with parents are effective in supporting continuity of children's care. However, opportunities to share information with parents about their children's progress and how to extend their learning at home are sometimes overlooked.
• Staff know the signs linked to online safety that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and understand how to identify and report concerns. However, staff have not fully considered how to promote children's growing awareness of how to safely use the internet and digital technology.
• Leaders follow safer recruitment procedures. New staff receive an induction so that they understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff receive regular supervision and appraisal meetings. Managers regularly evaluate and reflect on the standards of the setting, and training needs are identified. Staff's well-being is well promoted. All staff report that they are happy working in the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to understand the learning intention of planned physical development outdoor activities so that they can consistently support and challenge all children
• further improve communication and information-sharing with parents to provide more consistency about their children's progress and how to extend their learning at home
• clarify how children's awareness of online safety will be consistently promoted by staff.