The Red House Children's Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are immensely valued by deeply nurturing staff, who have very high expectations of them all. They speak confidently and articulately about what they can do at The Red House. For instance, they say proudly 'I can run as fast as a panther!' and describe how they 'grow, cook and eat the potatoes' they excitedly dig from the garden. All children make rapid progress. The high standard of staff teaching motivates them to pursue their interests and ideas. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive timely support from staff, which is precisely targeted to their needs. Staff work extremely well with outside professionals to close gaps in children's learning. Children are happy, safe and their behaviour is exemplary. There is a well-established key-person system and children spend plenty of time with their familiar adult. They use excellent manners when talking to staff, who are exceptional role models and skilfully guide and warmly support them.

Children flourish despite the challenges presented to the setting by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Staff have implemented new safety measures while maintaining the highest quality practice. Parents do not currently enter the building to minimise virus outbreaks. However, staff maintain excellent communication and share information with parents about their children. They use electronic communication and are always available to talk with them at the door.

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

• Children enjoy highly innovative learning experiences meticulously planned by staff. The challenging activities stimulate children's curiosity, which motivates them to learn. Children learn how things work as staff show them how to use the sewing machine to make dresses for dolls. They also learn how to handle tools safely and excitedly design and create items in the adult-led woodwork sessions.
• Staff place considerable emphasis on encouraging children to make their own choices and explore their uniqueness. Staff promote inclusion and avoid gender stereotyping when planning activities. They provide gender neutral items in the 'change of appearance box', such as wigs to try on. Staff learn about children's family culture from parents. They incorporate relevant festivals into the curriculum that are familiar to children. This helps children to learn even more about themselves and the beliefs of others.
• The manager uses highly effective methods to rigorously monitor the performance of the staff team. Leaders meet with staff to discuss their progress through the 'mentor-mentee' system. Furthermore, staff meet daily to reflect on and share best practice. This helps to ensure the ongoing and consistently high-quality provision continues to meet children's needs.
• The manager ensures that the broad curriculum is coherently sequenced to build children's knowledge and skills over time. Staff introduce younger children to short stories and rhymes to help develop their early literacy skills. Staff's teaching of literacy activities becomes increasingly more complex for older children. Staff introduce new concepts, such as poetry, and children are encouraged to tell stories of their own. This helps to develop their imaginative skills and build their vocabulary.
• Staff place great importance on teaching children about sustainability and recycling. Children learn how to fix and reuse items as staff involve them in repairs, such as fixing chairs or tightening loose coat pegs. Staff also teach children to recycle their food waste to make compost for the garden. In this way, children develop a strong sense of responsibility, their understanding of the world and gain important life skills.
• Partnerships with parents are extremely strong and parents have the utmost praise for this setting. They say staff look after their children in a way that is 'above and beyond' their expectations and how their children 'feel safe as they wave us goodbye'. They also comment that 'every aspect of children's well-being is carefully thought out'. The manager holds workshops and social events for parents, to strengthen relationships even further, and provides excellent support for families.
• Staff offer children superb opportunities to adopt healthy lifestyles. Children exercise and have fun in the challenging physical activities. They use large blocks to make obstacles on which they climb and balance. Children delight in planting seeds and growing fruits and vegetables. They conscientiously care for them and harvest the produce. They proudly take their fruit and vegetables to the chef to use in healthy, nutritious meals.