Thrive Princes Dock

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The setting provides a respectful and welcoming environment for all children and their families. Staff and leaders think carefully about how they welcome and settle children, parents and carers at the setting. Children build safe and secure relationships with their key person and enjoy coming for a cuddle with staff. This is because staff know and respond very well to children's needs, character and interests.

Children build secure understanding of the important knowledge that staff teach. Leaders and staff provide children with a range of well-chosen, high-quality books to read, including in the setting's attractive library. Parents and children benefit greatly from loaning books to take home and share together. Children understand the important features of books, such as the role of the title. They remember many stories and events from the books that staff read to them.

Staff organise learning experiences for the children carefully. Children learn to try tasks for themselves, such as zipping up their coats. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and teach children about respect and making safe and sensible decisions. For example, they teach children to understand that they might get hurt if they run into the area used for wheeled toys. Children recall with ease the rules for keeping safe.

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

• Children have opportunities to learn some new information about mathematics in a fun way. For example, staff teach them how to recognise numerals and to count objects. However, the mathematics curriculum is not well thought out. Staff do not understand what key mathematical knowledge to teach and when. This leaves children with gaps in their understanding of mathematics.
• Staff place high value on sharing books and celebrating the joy of reading with the children. They read and re-read, well-chosen stories to children. Staff think carefully how to build children's memory of stories, such as by acting out a well-known story when playing outdoors. Children learn about some of the special books that different authors write. They become knowledgeable about books and develop a love of reading. This helps children to be ready for primary school.
• Babies are supported gently and carefully by caring staff. They benefit from the meaningful learning activities that staff provide. For instance, staff provide equipment at just the right height to build babies' confidence in pulling themselves up and climbing. This develops babies' physical coordination and strength in readiness for independent walking.
• Staff teach children how to be considerate towards others. Children learn why some behaviours, such as snatching, are unkind. They learn how to make and keep friends. Staff teach them how to resolve conflicts amicably between each other. The setting prepares children well for having secure and respectful relationships with children and adults.
• Staff support children's personal development well. They make sure that children are active, such as by playing outdoors, for a good proportion of the day. Children develop a healthy appetite and look forward to eating the nutritious, freshly cooked meals that the setting provides. Children become healthy and active.
• The setting ensures that all children feel included. Staff make certain that children learn about the culture, beliefs and languages of other people. Children respect people who may be different to themselves.
• The setting makes careful checks of children's development and learning to identify the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It links effectively with parents and external experts to understand children's development. Staff work successfully to remove barriers to children's learning. Children with SEND make good progress in their learning of the curriculum.
• Following a recent concern about a safeguarding incident, the setting failed to act swiftly when worried about a colleague. The setting has since taken effective action. Leaders have revisited the setting's safeguarding policy. They have ensured that staff responsible for safeguarding at the setting understand their role to report allegations immediately. There was no impact on children's safety and welfare from this breach of the requirements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the mathematics curriculum so that staff understand what key knowledge to teach to children and when.