The Honey Pot

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff design a thoughtful curriculum that incorporates children's cultural backgrounds and experiences. For example, during events like Chinese New Year, children learn about their peers' traditions by engaging in activities which explore the year of the snake. This helps children to develop respect for others. Staff support younger children to recognise themselves using pictures, which they confidently place on the registration board alongside their peers. This promotes a sense of belonging, helping children to feel safe in their environment.

Staff use care routines, like nappy changing, as valuable moments to engage with their key children. They model clear language when talking to children and listen to them well. This builds secure relationships and trust. Staff are attentive to children's needs. For example, they offer pre-school children reassurance when they start to feel overwhelmed and time to regulate their emotions. This promotes their ongoing happiness. Children are highly sociable. For instance, younger children tell staff that their peers are on holiday and pre-school children show a keen interest in others by asking them questions. They participate in group games where they take it in turns to select counters to make four in a row and talk about the activities that they enjoy. These examples show children's positive behaviour.

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

• The curriculum is carefully sequenced across the nursery to ensure children are prepared for the next stage in their learning. As children progress, activities become more complex and structured. For example, pre-school children compare the length of an anaconda to that of a staff member, discovering that 'five Sarah's' is the same length as the snake. This promotes children's critical thinking and curiosity as they explore mathematics.
• Staff understand the skills children have already learned and plan for what they need to learn next. They use children's ideas as a foundation for further learning. For instance, when children say, 'people have cells', they provide opportunities to further explore this concept. However, staff do not always recognise the level of support children need to promote their independence. They occasionally complete simple tasks that children can do themselves, such as adding their own ingredients to make play dough, wiping their noses and removing their hats and coats. This prevents children from practising important self-help skills.
• Staff establish strong partnerships with parents and carers. For example, they offer reassurance and guidance to help to support children's learning at home and regularly meet with parents to discuss children's progress. Parents appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback and express gratitude for the detailed updates they receive from all staff who know their children well. They feel involved in their children's learning and have trust in the staff team.
• The day generally runs smoothly; however, some transition periods, such as tidy-up and home times, could be better organised. For example, during tidy-up, some younger children lose focus and start playing, which staff join in with. This leaves children unclear about what is expected of them. Furthermore, some staff focus on tasks like sweeping instead of providing the additional support children need during story time.
• Children develop their creativity and literacy skills from an early age. For example, staff regularly read stories to them and provide access to a wide range of books during various activities. Babies strengthen their fine-motor skills through sensory experiences, such as mark-making in the shaving foam. Pre-school children practise forming letters on drawable tablets, with staff reinforcing both the letters and their sounds. This positively boosts language development.
• Children develop strong communication skills. They expand their vocabulary through staff's use of descriptive words, such as 'sizzling snake'. Staff focus on teaching single words before encouraging children to form sentences. They engage younger children in discussions about the books they read, including the images on the front cover and the blurb on the back. This helps children to understand the meanings of words like 'blurb' and 'spine'.
• Staff have clearly defined roles and responsibilities, which they carry out efficiently. For instance, they research hearing loss and explore ways to adapt the environment for children who use hearing aids. In staff meetings, they discuss their roles and the strategies they have implemented, promoting teamwork and continuous improvement. As a result, staff fully understand how to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Leaders and staff ensure funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged children. They collaborate well with external professionals, like speech and language therapists, to set personalised targets and ensure children receive the support they need to develop their skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• monitor staff practice more closely to quickly identify and address any weaknesses during transition periods
• support staff in determining the level of assistance children need to further build on their independence.