Tiny Toes Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff warmly welcome children as they arrive at this friendly setting. They are reassuring and attentive to children's needs. They spend time getting to know children and develop positive relationships with them. As a result, children feel safe and secure. They are excited to learn and settle quickly, eager to play and explore the wide range of activities available to them.

Staff are good role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children know the routine and what is expected of them. If children's behaviour deteriorates, staff give them gentle reminders which children then repeat to each other. Staff use effective ways to support children to understand their emotions and those of others. Children learn to share and take turns, they are making good relationships with each other.

Staff encourage children to develop healthy lifestyles. Children select from a variety of fruits during snack time. Mealtimes are a calm and sociable occasion. Children are provided with daily opportunities for fresh air and exercise in the nursery garden. For example, they skilfully navigate climbing frames and enjoy the praise from staff when they successfully balance on wooden beams. These activities help children develop their large muscles, spatial awareness and coordination.

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

• Leaders and managers have worked effectively with other agencies since the last inspection to ensure weaknesses are strengthened. Children have secure relationships with their key person and other staff members who provide buddy cover. Regular observations of staff and one-to-one meetings identify weaknesses in practice, and action is taken to ensure there is consistency throughout the setting for the learning and development needs of children.
• Staff have recently completed training to support children with their mathematical development. As a result, mathematics is consistently embedded in activities. Staff provide play-based experiences to encourage children to expand their maths vocabulary. For example, as children play, staff talk to them about different shapes and patterns. During group time, younger children follow instructions that incorporate positional language such as on-top, under and behind. This helps build children's understanding of early maths concepts.
• Staff plan a wide range of activities for children. These are based on children's next steps and development needs. Activities engage children and excite them in their learning. However, staff do not always recognise when children can be challenged further and are quick to solve problems for them. This means, at these times, children do not develop their problem solving or critical thinking skills.
• Staff support children to be independent. All children are encouraged to look after their self-care needs. For example, before lunch, children independently wash their hands. During snack time, children self-serve their fruit and pour their own drinks.
• Overall, children's communication and language are supported well. Younger children develop their communication skills as they listen to stories and join in with singing. Older children develop their conversation skills during group time. They understand they need to listen to their friends and wait for their turn to talk. However, staff do not always give children time to think and respond to questions which would help children build their conversation skills further.
• Children develop a love of books and reading. Staff are enthusiastic storytellers, and children listen intently as they read. Children look at books independently. They turn the pages carefully and make up stories using the pictures. In addition, staff provide story sacks for children to read at home with parents.
• Staff plan activities to support children's understanding of the world around them. Children excitedly explain how they need to water the strawberries to help them grow. Information gathered from parents informs staff planning to support children's understanding of other faiths and cultures. This supports children to understand and celebrate the differences between themselves and other people and promotes a sense of identity and belonging.
• Staff work effectively with other agencies and parents to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff identify when children need extra support and ensure referrals are made in a timely manner. This means children and their families get the support they need in the quickest time possible.
• Parent partnerships are strong. Staff provide regular feedback about children's progress and provide parents with information on how they can support their children at home. This provides consistency for the children between the home and nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend children's learning further and provide them with consistent challenges to help them make even more progress
• strengthen skills in recognising when to give children more time to process information to support communication and language even further.