Thurston Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Babies and toddlers thoroughly enjoy their time in this exceptionally calm, caring and nurturing setting. They come in readily. As parents pass their babies over to staff, the babies snuggle comfortably into staff, demonstrating how settled and secure they feel. Babies confidently snuggle into staff's arms to have their bottles. Staff continue with established routines for feeding and sleeping, supporting children to feel safe and develop a strong sense of belonging. Staff are extremely alert to ensuring that all children are fully included in all events and activities of the day.

Children play alongside each other harmoniously. They are safe and busy as they explore the varied and interesting range of activities available to them. Staff provide a lovely range of activities, both indoors and outside, that promote all areas of learning. They pay exceptionally good attention to planning for outdoors. This helps ensure that those children who learn best from being outside, can do so. Children spend a significant amount of their day outdoors, playing with balls and wheeled toys, and sitting with staff to look at books together. They are highly motivated and eager to join in. Staff support children's natural instincts to discover and explore. Children delight in exploring the texture of everyday items, such as fabric and pinecones.

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

• Staff consistently deliver the highest quality of teaching. They are exceedingly responsive to children's individual needs. Staff are led by what children want to do and expertly extend activities. For example, when children explore 'treasure baskets' of natural materials, staff suggest that they go outside and find other things to put in it. Children readily go off to find stones and sticks to add to the basket.
• Staff know the children extremely well and have high expectations of what they can achieve. They talk confidently about where children are in their learning and development and what they need to do to support their continuing progress. Staff are confident to carry through their findings into planning, and their teaching meets the unique needs of each child. This helps to ensure that every child makes the best possible progress in their learning and development.
• Staff ensure that equality and inclusion are at the heart of everything they do with the children. They engage children in exciting and purposeful play. Children for whom there are possible special educational needs are supported exceptionally well. Staff complete additional training to ensure that they are confident to meet children's medical needs.
• Children feel incredibly safe and secure in their relationships with staff. They develop close emotional attachments, confidently seeking out staff for reassurance and to share in their play. Staff skilfully talk with children and challenge their thinking. They respond positively to the babbles and gestures of babies. Staff engage children in conversation, actively listen to what children have to say and expertly extend and develop their vocabulary.
• Children behave well and respond positively to the high expectations of staff. Even very young children understand the consistent ground rules and know what is expected of them. Staff are highly effective role models. They talk to children in a calm, respectful manner. Staff give meaningful praise for children's individual efforts. Children thoroughly enjoy this and beam with delight.
• Staff build exceptionally friendly and trusting relationships with parents. Communication between them and staff is excellent and exceptionally informative. Parents describe staff as being like 'one big extended family' and appreciate the support staff give them as a family. Parents highly value the nurturing nature of the staff.
• The management team is highly effective in driving improvement. They rigorously monitor all aspects of practice to inform continuous improvement, leading to exceptional provision and outcomes for children. Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to achieving excellence in all areas. They are enthusiastic and work exceptionally well together as part of a friendly and motivated team.
• The management team implements a highly effective programme of supervision and appraisal for all staff to manage their performance, foster a culture of mutual support, and build on the already outstanding practice. Staff have opportunities to share their skills and learn from their colleagues, to improve their practice even further.