Treetops Caterpillar

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy the time they spend at this quaint and welcoming nursery. They form strong attachments with staff and demonstrate that they are emotionally secure. Toddlers show that they feel comfortable as they enjoy sitting on the laps of staff to listen to stories. Babies hold their arms out to staff when they anticipate sleep time. Children enjoy the fresh air and outdoor environment. Staff provide babies with a dedicated space outdoors to test their physical kills. They encourage babies to walk up, down and backwards over bumps.

At the start of the day, pre-school children relish the opportunity to put on high-visibility jackets and risk assess the outdoor area. They take clipboards outside to assess the area for any risks, accompanied by a staff member. Children conclude the grass area is wet and slightly muddy and may pose a risk. This is communicated to their friends, who avoid the area when they play outside. Children behave well and are willing to follow the rules of the nursery. At circle time, staff encourage the children to recall the nursery rules. They confidently tell staff they use kind hands, indoor voices and walking feet inside. Parents speak positively about the nursery. They praise the information staff provide that gives them ideas to extend children's learning at home.

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

• The manager takes pride in her highly qualified staff team. Staff feel their health and well-being are well supported. They have access to regular training, which is effective in improving outcomes for children. Staff value the one-to-one meetings they have with the manager. However, the quality of education is not consistently of an outstanding level. For example, staff, occasionally, try and engage children in understanding at levels that are above what they are capable of, such as when teaching about the meaning of Easter.
• Staff help children to develop a strong interest in books. They engage children as they read a traditional tale with animation, such as 'The Enormous Turnip'. Children choose their peers to help them 'pull out the turnip' and to re-enact the story. Children learn that even though you may be the smallest or last person chosen you are unique and important. This helps to promote personal and emotional development.
• The manager and staff have a very secure understanding of what provides a curriculum that follows children's interests and develops the skills they will need for future learning. Staff regularly assess children to check on the progress they have made. Staff know their key children very well. Assessments include the opinion of parents. This means that the next steps of learning planned for children meet their needs, considering their individuality and uniqueness.
• Staff value and respect children's voice and input. For example, children from the pre-school, known as the 'Buzz Council', meet monthly to discuss what they want from their learning and development. Most recently they asked for more outdoor and gardening activities. This helps children to know their opinion is appreciated.
• Staff promote babies' sensory exploration. Babies thoroughly enjoy using brushes to explore paint and extend this themselves by painting their hands and making handprints. Staff are close by to offer praise, yet allow the babies to freely investigate.
• Staff handle any minor disagreements fairly, such as when children want to play with the same toy. They get down to children's level and explain to them why it is good to share. This encourages children to share space and resources well.
• Healthy food is prepared daily on site. Staff pay close attention to promoting children's good health and hygiene. For example, they encourage children to wash their hands regularly. Staff have a robust approach to ensuring that children's health needs are consistently met. For example, the chef hands over food from the kitchen, discussing individual dietary requirements. Furthermore, specific coloured spoons indicate to staff they will be serving children who may have intolerances or allergies.
• Staff are mindful that parents work hard and, occasionally, long hours. They enhance children's experiences by offering them the opportunity to explore messy play. Toddlers use cars to make marks in paint and pre-school children thoroughly enjoy planting turnip seeds. This contributes to children's creativity and understanding of growth and decay.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• adapt and enhance support for staff to focus on raising the quality of education to the highest level.