The Old Vicarage

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are engrossed in their learning. They have a very positive attitude towards their learning, and their behaviour is excellent. Children take pride in their work; they take time to practice their skills. For example, they focus their attention while mastering their pencil control. This helps to develop their confidence. Children are content. They respond positively to nurturing and warm interactions with staff. This helps children to feel safe and aspire to the high expectations that staff have of them. Children are captivated at story time as they delight in pretending to be a beautiful butterfly. They have the opportunity to develop their large-muscle movements to music. This enables them to develop the physical skills necessary to access nature in the outdoors. For example, children are able to safely take risks in their play as they balance on a bridge over a stream, while accessing a 'forest school' session. This enables children to develop a 'can-do' attitude.

Children enjoy doing things for themselves. For example, pre-school children take pride in setting out cutlery at lunchtime and serve themselves food at the table. This helps children to develop their independence. As a result, children are developing their self-esteem, which enables them to explore and find out more within their learning environment. Children are introduced to a wide range of language, which they use during their play. They listen well to staff who diligently interact to support and extend children's language. Children's emotional well-being is sensitively supported through ongoing communication between parents and staff. This helps to secure a foundation for learning both at the setting and at home. In addition, it has helped to counteract the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's overall development.

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

• The manager seeks to develop an ambitious curriculum. She has plans to improve provision and practice for all children. However, the curriculum aims are not securely and consistently embedded across the staff team. Therefore, staff do not always have a firm and common understanding of the curriculum intent and what it means for their practice.
• The manager has developed robust arrangements to support staff's continued professional development. She has worked hard to successfully prioritise staff's well-being. As a result, staff feel well supported and valued. They are conscientious and reflective in their practice, and this helps to ensure that children's needs are consistently met.
• Staff skilfully plan to enable individual children to build on their learning. They successfully identify gaps in children's skills and knowledge and act to swiftly close them. As a result, children make steady progress in their learning.
• Story times are cherished by staff and children. Staff imaginatively use stories to challenge and extend children's learning. For example, pre-school children recite sentences from 'The Gruffalo' with expression and excitement. They interact with creatively selected story props and use language to describe them, such as 'rough' and 'wet'. As a result, children are learning and using new words.
• Staff help children to tune into the sounds they can hear, especially those outdoors. Pre-school children have been learning the sound that represents the first letter in their name. They recognise their own and their friends' names when written down. As a result, children's early literacy skills are well supported, especially in readiness for starting school.
• Staff support children's mathematical development. Children count the number of cups that they need at lunchtime to make sure they have enough for everyone. They understand when they need one more. As a result, children are developing concepts relating to addition.
• Staff understand children's needs well and are committed to meeting them. This helps to develop nurturing relationships between children and staff, which supports children's personal development. As a result, children have a positive attitude towards their learning and seek to explore their learning environment.
• Staff work closely with parents of children who speak English as an additional language. They have developed strategies to ensure that these children are able to communicate their needs. Staff value and celebrate the diverse needs of the children who attend the setting As a result, all children are included and develop a strong sense of belonging, which promotes their learning. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further embed the curriculum aims so that staff have a firm and common understanding, including what it means for their practice.