Tiny Toez @ Eastvalley

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff work together to create a safe, welcoming place where children feel secure and make good progress. From the earliest stages, staff tune in to babies' needs, offering warmth and comfort so they are confident to explore. Older children also benefit from the strong bonds they form with staff, seeking reassurance when needed and showing trust in adults who listen to them. Across the setting, staff supervise carefully and respond swiftly if children need help, so children are safe and well supported in their play.

Leaders have introduced a new curriculum that gives staff clear guidance on what children need to learn and when. They have organised the learning environment so that children build securely on prior knowledge. For example, staff help younger children to develop confidence with early physical skills. Staff working with toddlers introduce turn-taking and problem-solving. Pre-school children extend their independence and critical thinking. Children gain the early foundations for future learning, becoming confident communicators and independent learners who are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Staff establish clear routines and model respectful interactions so children learn about expectations. This helps to create a calm atmosphere where children are motivated to play and eager to learn.

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

• Overall, leaders use monitoring to improve teaching and the provision for children. For example, they identified where activities and environments were less engaging to children and supported staff to redesign spaces and plan resources more effectively. While the impact for children has improved, leaders do not use information gathered from monitoring as well as possible to swiftly secure consistent improvement across all areas of staff practice.
• Leaders ensure parents know their child's key person. They provide thorough settling-in processes and detailed updates in the younger rooms. However, staff working with older children do not give daily feedback with the same consistency or detail as for younger children. This means some parents are less well informed about their child's learning.
• Leaders provide regular training and professional development for staff that is effective in supporting their teaching skills. They guide staff to plan purposeful activities that meet children's development needs. Staff use this guidance well, building children's knowledge and skills step by step.
• Leaders have improved support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work with outside agencies to secure specialist advice and act on recommendations. Leaders have also employed additional staff whose dedicated role is to provide one-to-one support for children who need this most. Leaders have effectively strengthened the way staff adapt learning and provide targeted support. This enables children with SEND to take part fully in activities and make good progress alongside their peers.
• Leaders and staff place a strong emphasis on communication and language across all rooms. With babies, practitioners model simple sounds and name objects during play. Staff extend toddlers conversations, such as through role play and questions that encourage children to use new words and short sentences. Pre-school staff build on this further, supporting children to share ideas, retell stories, and express their feelings. When needed, staff use focused language to help children develop speech and communication. Children become confident communicators.
• Staff promote children's personal development well, especially with older children. Toddlers use knives and forks at mealtimes and learn to pour drinks. They begin to manage toileting. Staff help pre-school children to take responsibility for their personal care, use tools safely, and gain a sense of responsibility. Children gain confidence, independence, and resilience.
• Staff support positive attitudes to learning throughout the setting. Babies show curiosity as they explore sensory resources and the physical challenges available. Toddlers sustain focus during play and join in group routines with growing confidence. Pre-school children work together on creative projects, such as building and decorating models. They show enjoyment in sharing ideas and activities with their friends. Children stay motivated, collaborate successfully, and develop a positive approach to learning.
• Staff plan for children to learn how to manage their feelings and behaviour as they move through the setting. Toddlers learn to share, take turns, and use words to express how they feel. Staff help older children to understand rules and find ways to resolve conflict. Children learn to manage their feelings with increasing confidence.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make better use of information gathered from monitoring practice to help staff consistently to extend challenge and further support children's progress
• extend the consistency and detail of daily communication with parents so that all families are equally well informed about their child's learning and experiences.