Trinity Children's Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children separate from their main carers with ease and enter the setting. They greet their friends with smiles and cuddles, showing they feel safe, secure and happy to be there. Children confidently and independently explore the activities and experiences set up across the setting, indoors and outside. Children behave well. They enjoy joining in and take turns playing a matching game with their friends.

Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. They climb in the garden, dig in the mud and use paintbrushes and chalks to make marks. Children love engaging in water play. They mix a coloured water using a variety of containers. Staff support children well. They play alongside children, using humour to extend children's imaginative skills. For instance, children make pretend ice cream with wet sand and cones. They squeal with delight as staff say that their ice cream tastes of cucumber. Staff expertly weave in mathematics as they encourage children to count their scoops of ice cream.

Children become absorbed squashing and rolling play dough. They use small-world animals to make marks in the dough. Staff encourage children to look at similarities and differences between the footprints. Older children eagerly select and use shaped cutters. They proudly show staff their 'circle' shape.

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

• The leadership team has made significant improvements since the last inspection. All staff, including the committee, have completed targeted training to improve their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding. They make use of detailed risk assessments and hygiene procedures to ensure children are safe at the setting.
• Staff provide many opportunities to develop children's communication skills. For instance, they introduce words such as 'stethoscope' and 'optician' as children play in the role-play area. Staff read a variety of books with children, and support older children to tell their own stories, using puppets. Staff sing songs and rhymes, and encourage children to select their own songs at group time. This helps to develop children's confidence and their speaking and listening skills.
• Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff share children's learning through an online app and through conversations when parents collect their children. Staff provide ideas and suggestions for parents to support their children's learning at home. For instance, staff have introduced a lending library, to help support children's communication and literacy skills.
• Generally, staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the early years curriculum. They plan interesting and exciting activities across all areas of learning. Staff recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on children's social skills and on their communication and language. They plan activities to support children's learning in these areas. However, on occasions, some staff do not focus specifically on children's individual next steps, during activities.
• Staff work well with other professionals. They liaise with speech and language professionals and the local authority to put in place individual education plans, to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, staff have not yet developed relationships with other early years settings that children attend. This means that children's learning and development are not shared consistently.
• Overall, children behave well. They are kind and polite and are beginning to learn how to play together well. However, staff do not always use the same effective behaviour management techniques. For instance, some staff do not explain the impact of children's behaviour on others. This means that children receive mixed messages about what type of behaviour is expected.
• Staff provide healthy, balanced snacks and drinks for all children. Children independently access the 'hydration station' throughout the day. Staff talk to children about the importance of keeping hydrated. Staff work with parents to ensure that children's lunch boxes are healthy and well balanced. This helps children to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles.
• Staff say that they feel well supported by the dedicated manager and deputy manager. Leaders have a clear development plan and understand their priorities for the future. Staff are passionate about the work that they do, and there is a clear team spirit. Staff are happy to work in the setting. This has a positive impact on children's development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to further develop their understanding of children's next steps, to support children's progress even further
• build on existing partnerships with other early years providers children attend and help to provide a consistent approach to children's learning
• support staff to develop consistent behaviour management techniques.