The Railway House

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have created a learning environment for children that oozes awe and wonder. The atmosphere buzzes with children's excitement and eagerness to explore. Staff know children exceptionally well. They understand the small steps of knowledge that children should learn and in which order this should be. Consequently, children receive an ambitious curriculum that keeps them motivated to learn. Staff are good role models. They teach children about being kind and provide clear expectations for their behaviour. Children are polite and courteous. They are caring towards others and regularly embrace their friends with cuddles.

Staff support children's individual creativity well. They provide opportunities for children to express themselves through dancing, singing and painting. Children relish these experiences. Babies are encapsulated in their creativity while exploring paint with their hands and feet. Toddlers sing their favourite songs. Pre-school children move their bodies to music. Staff support children well for their eventual move on to school. They help children to develop their self-help skills. For example, children help to tidy toys away, they put their own coats on and help to set play equipment up to use at the local gym. Children enjoy having visits from their new teachers. They talk about their classrooms and what they are looking forward to about school. Children develop good skills in readiness for their next steps in learning.

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

• The manager, ably supported by the deputy manager, leads the setting with an absolute conviction that all children will succeed. Together, they aspire for the setting to be a beacon of exceptional practice. They have worked exceptionally hard to bring about change since the last inspection. Self-evaluation is accurate and has a positive impact on outcomes for children. For example, leaders have improved the outdoor area to better promote children's balance and coordination skills. Children relish taking part in an assault course. They show excellent physical dexterity while trying to walk on different-textured surfaces.
• The key-person system is highly effective. Staff use their knowledge of attachment theory to help children to settle quickly. They spend time getting to know children and their families during the settling-in period. Children develop secure bonds with staff. They demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning and behave well.
• Leaders provide children with a curriculum that is built on research and what they already know about children. They plan activities that keep children interested and motivated to learn. For example, babies enjoy playing with musical instruments. Toddlers show fascination while searching for bugs outdoors. Pre-school children giggle with delight while pretending to be superheroes. Children make good progress and gaps in their learning close.
• In the main, leaders teach children about different festivals and celebrations. They talk to children about being respectful and tolerant of others. However, leaders have not fully considered how they can broaden children's understanding of people and communities that are different to their own. This means that children do not gain a wider understanding of similarities and differences between themselves and others.
• Leaders prioritise reading. They carefully choose books that are age-appropriate and that will ignite children's imaginations. Children snuggle up to staff while looking at books. They look at the illustrations and talk about their favourite characters. Children identify different letter sounds and words. They enjoy taking books home to share with their families.
• Leaders have implemented new arrangements for staff's coaching and mentoring. However, these arrangements are not fully embedded. This means that some staff do not receive consistent feedback about their interactions with children. This hinders some staff from raising their practice.
• The support in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is excellent. Leaders work closely with parents and other agencies to get the support that children with SEND need. Children with SEND flourish at this nurturing setting.
• Staff support children's love of the outdoors effectively. Children help to grow vegetables in the allotment. They learn how to care for living things and how to be environmentally friendly. Children become enthralled while making 'magical potions' with sand and soil. They pretend to travel to a 'secret island' in a boat. Staff support children to understand the benefits of being outdoors, such as being physically active and getting fresh air.
• Leaders prioritise staff's well-being effectively. They ensure that staff workload is manageable and provide staff with incentives for their hard work. Staff morale is high. They reported that working at the setting is 'fantastic'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to better support children's understanding of people and communities beyond their own experiences
• embed further the arrangements for staff's coaching and mentoring, to help to raise their practice.