Treetops Toton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily at this nursery and are greeted by their key person, who they have secure relationships with. Children show positive attitudes to learning. Babies are curious and keen to try out activities and explore toys independently. They enjoy playing with scarves, putting them over their head and pulling them off. They eagerly use paint and dabbers, developing their fine motor skills as they dab paint on eggboxes. Children are keen to share their toys with visitors. They are confident to approach them, sharing in shaking sensory bottles, smiling while they play. Pre-school children investigate how different items in the water tray sink or float. Staff help toddlers and pre-school children to develop their independence through routine activities, such as pouring their own drinks.

Children behave well. They play cooperatively and share resources with their friends. In the garden, children put on sunglasses and pretend to be 'the Grandpa'. They give sunglasses to their friends to put on to be 'the Gran'. They climb and balance confidently on wooden beams outside and explore the mud kitchen, scooping the mud with spoons. Children share and listen to stories. They respond to questions about the story, developing their language and listening skills.

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

• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents speak highly of the setting and feel valued. They say staff regularly share information in a variety of ways to keep everybody up to date in what is happening in their child's life. Parents say that staff are 'like family and always happy' and know their children well.
• Staff work closely with parents and external agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and health conditions.
• Children form secure attachments with their key persons. Babies happily give and receive cuddles. Toddlers seek out staff to help with their personal care. However, staff do not always recognise when less confident and quieter children need encouragement to join in activities.
• The manager regularly carries out supervision meetings with staff. Leaders and managers support staff well-being, especially during times of change. They also support parents and families, for example through well-being sessions. Parents say staff care about them and support them during difficult times.
• Children's behaviour is good. Staff help children understand and follow the 'golden rules'. These are implemented well and consistently by staff, helping children to understand the behaviour that is expected.
• The manager is a good role model for staff. Her vision of what it is she wants children to learn is clear and the focus is on the three prime areas. However, sometimes, her vision is not fully understood or implemented by the rest of the staff. For example, staff provide pencils and paper to babies and toddlers and talk about teaching the children to hold the pencil correctly. They do not focus on helping children to build the skills needed to develop fine motor skills. This means that, in some instances, children miss vital stages in their learning.
• Children engage in activities and staff interact and join in activities with them. Staff use good questioning techniques and give children time to think and respond. Staff in the baby room sit on the floor and join in with babies' play. Overall, children are making good progress in their learning as a result of staff's interactions.
• Staff know the children well and understand their individual learning needs well. However, occasionally, staff's eagerness to provide enjoyable experiences for children means that activities are less purposeful. For example, activities are planned to build on children's interests but are sometimes not tailored to what children need to learn next.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to tailor activities to meet individual children's needs
• improve ongoing support and coaching for staff to help them strenghten their understanding of the curriculum
• help staff to engage and support quieter and less confident children to build friendships to support their social skills in readiness for school.