Treetops Alton Manor

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Pre-school children help staff to identify and remove any potential risks in the garden before they use it. Children tell visitors that they found berries, so they put them in the bin. They recognise areas of the garden that are cordoned off and understand that they do not use these areas. This helps children to learn how they can keep themselves safe. Pre-school children understand staff's expectations for their behaviour. They say that holding hands would show 'kind hands'.

Children are supported to develop their communication and language skills. In the baby room, staff use repetitive words such as 'shake, shake, shake' when children move musical instruments, helping to support their early speaking skills. In the under-two's room, staff help children to understand words that link to actions. For instance, when children move forwards and backwards on equipment, staff sing a song about rocking. Pre-school children learn about similarities and differences in people. Staff ask them to look in mirrors to identify what makes them unique. Children learn why people wear glasses, remembering that their mummy wears them. Children in the baby room are supported to learn how to handle books. For instance, staff show them how to lift flaps on pages and encourage children to copy.

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

• Children form strong attachments to staff, showing that they feel safe and secure in their care. For instance, in the baby room, staff hold children in their arms to help them sleep when they are tired. Children sit on staff's knee to observe other children and look at books.
• Staff implement a curriculum that encourages children to be independent. For example, in the under-two's room, staff ask children to get tissues and supports them to wipe their noses. In the toddler room, children find their peg and hang their coats up when they come indoors. Pre-school children are given time to fasten zips on their coats by themselves.
• Staff in the toddler room complete training courses to help develop their knowledge of how to support children to manage their behaviour. This includes showing children images to help them to understand their feelings when they become frustrated. Staff model how to share, such as asking children to take turns with them to add foam bricks to build a tower. When other children pass them bricks, they say 'thank you', showing good manners.
• Additional funding that some children receive is used effectively to meet their individual needs. For instance, the management team purchases a play kitchen outdoors to encourage children to develop their interactions with their peers. However, staff do not provide opportunities for all children to build on their interests. One example of this is when staff in the pre-school room do not invite children to join planned activities when they show that they want to participate.
• Staff have a good knowledge of their key children's learning and development needs, including those who may need additional support. However, this information is not always shared with new staff, such as during their induction process when they start. This results in, at times, not all new staff recognising how best to help some children with their learning. Therefore, sometimes children are not able to make the best progress.
• The well-being of staff is promoted effectively. The management team has an open-door policy where staff can speak to them at any time. This helps to reduce staff absences and helps children to have more consistency to build relationships with staff.
• Staff invite parents to attend the nursery with their children during planned times. Parents say that they appreciate having these opportunities to do craft activities with their children. This helps parents to be involved in their children's learning. However, staff do not share or gather ongoing information with staff at other early years settings that children also attend. This means that they do not gain a broader knowledge of children's all-round development to help plan more precisely for their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to help children to build on their interests
• strengthen induction procedures for new staff to help them understand how to support all children's learning
• develop partnership working with staff at other early years settings that children also attend to help plan more precisely for children's learning.