Traquinas Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this inclusive and nurturing setting. Staff greet children with a warm and friendly welcome. The setting has a highly effective key-person system that ensures children form close attachments to staff, who are highly responsive to their individual needs. Staff set clear boundaries to help guide children's behaviour and consistently model respect and tolerance for others. As a result, children are kind and considerate to one another and quickly help their friends when needed.

Staff skilfully provide children with immersive learning opportunities in the setting and on outings. For instance, children spend the day in their allotment where they learn about life cycles and their environment. Children are highly engaged in the setting as they discuss the needs of their pet snail. They excitedly use an atlas book to discuss where he has come from and how big he will grow. Staff's attentive teaching and calming guidance encourage children to be curious learners and provide them with exciting and new experiences. Independence is encouraged from an early age. Young children sweep away and tidy up enthusiastically, as older children confidently pour their own water, dress themselves and are taught how to safely use knives to cut up fruit for snack. These skills help children to be ready for when they go to school.

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

• The management team have devised a highly focused curriculum that is securely embedded across the setting. Staff have expert knowledge of child development and continually review their practice to provide high-quality teaching. They skilfully adapt learning experiences to support children's next steps. Staff know their key children exceptionally well and ensure that activities our planned around children's individual needs and interests. They make excellent use of a range of assessment tools to identify any emerging gaps in children's development. Staff use this information to successfully implement early intervention strategies and targeted teaching.
• Staff strive to provide a setting that enhances children learning experiences, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work incredibly well with other professionals to improve outcomes for all children. The management team use additional funding to ensure children with SEND experience the same opportunities. They plan excellent extra-curricular opportunities, such as swimming lessons, forest school, trips to the local care homes, and have hired a speech and language therapist to support children develop their communication skills. This helps to deepen children's learning and enjoyment and to give them the very best start to their early education.
• Children have excellent physical skills and understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. They skilfully use equipment to create obstacle courses and balancing platforms in the garden. The in-house chef prepares home cooked, nutritional food that allows children to explore different tastes. Parents comment this has changed the way they eat at home and has provided them with new ideas to support healthy eating outside of the setting.
• Staff are experts in promoting children's early communication skills. Children are immersed in a language-rich environment that supports their early language development. This especially supports children who speak English as an additional language. Staff use sign language, model high-quality speech and engage children in meaningful conversations that encourage them to express their thoughts and ideas. Children develop a love for books and have access to a variety of different literature. They relish opportunities to take part in weekly 'drama tots' sessions where they explore music, movement and drama.
• Parents are overwhelmingly complimentary about the setting. They feel that they are approachable, trusting and go out of their way to help parents learn effective way to support their children at home. For instance, parents are invited to potty training workshops, school readiness cafes and are encouraged to be involved in extra-curricular activities within the setting. This helps to support children's continuity of learning.
• The management team are inspirational and care deeply about the role they play in supporting children, parents and staff. Staff receive focused and highly effective professional development opportunities to consistently improve their already exceptional knowledge and skills. For instance, staff have been to Italy to take part in training on the Reggio Emilia approach to help strengthen their teaching and curriculum. Staff speak highly of the setting and are very positively about the support they receive, both for their professional development and their personal well-being.