The Little Blue Door

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show they feel safe with staff. For instance, babies snuggle in for cuddles as they share books with staff, and older children seek out staff to be with. Staff provide children with effective support for their emotional well-being. They know the children they care for well and what they like to do. This helps staff to plan and supply resources that will motivate children in their play and learning. For example, younger children enjoy the excitement of unwrapping cars and older children delight in the role-play area. They learn to take turns as they play and follow the guidelines set by staff, such as there only being four children in the home corner at a time. Staff offer children lots of praise and encouragement. This supports their self-esteem well.

Leaders and managers have designed a clear curriculum that can be adapted effectively to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is implemented by staff effectively. Babies, for example, learn to build relationships with their familiar adults. Young children start to follow a predictable daily routine. Older children learn to recognise their written name and look after their belongings. Leaders and managers support staff to help children build on what they know and can do. Staff are positive role models for children. They support children to develop a range of skills that will help them move on to the next stage in their education.

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

• Staff readily identify when children may need extra help for their learning. Children with SEND have good support. For example, staff offer movement and sensory breaks to children with SEND when they struggle with the daily routine. They seek out extra training and try new ideas and strategies to help meet children's individual needs. Staff work well with external professionals to ensure high levels of continuity for children's care and learning.
• Children benefit from staff who support them to be confident. For instance, throughout the nursery, staff support children through familiar songs to know what activities are coming up. This helps children to feel secure and know what is expected. Children listen attentively to staff and show positive attitudes to their learning.
• Staff understand the importance of children being physically active. For example, they encourage children to run, climb and balance outdoors. Children delight in riding bikes and dancing energetically to music. Staff provide children with activities to develop their fine motor skills, such as threading pasta shapes onto pipe cleaners. Staff offer children many and varied opportunities that support their physical development effectively.
• Overall, teaching is good. Staff provide children with positive interactions that support their learning. For example, staff help babies to crawl, climb and learn to stand up as they use soft-play equipment. They encourage babies to keep trying and celebrate their successes with warm praise. However, at times, staff teaching is not fully effective. For instance, staff do not always allow children time to think and reply to questioning, or check if all children can access stories in a big group. Leaders and managers offer support to staff to develop their knowledge and skills, but this is not finely tuned to help staff deliver consistently good teaching.
• Children benefit from many activities and experiences that staff plan to support their learning. For instance, young children explore vegetables as staff help them to make links to previous seed planting. Older children make potions, using pipettes to strengthen their hand muscles as they play. However, occasionally, staff do not consider how to fully develop children's independence skills. For example, they do not support babies to make choices, or young children to try and manage self-care tasks. Staff do not consistently support children to learn to be independent.
• Staff build effective partnerships with parents. They offer parents many opportunities to get involved with their children's learning, such as through stay- and-play sessions. Leaders and managers plan a varied parent programme to offer them support and advice. Parents comment favourably about the positive communication they have from staff about their children's time at the nursery.
• Leaders and managers provide effective support for staff well-being. Staff report they feel valued in their role. Leaders and managers involve staff and parents in feedback to support continual improvements to benefit children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus staff's professional development more sharply on enhancing their teaching skills to support all children to make the best possible progress
• strengthen arrangements so children receive consistent support and encouragement to promote their independence skills.