Trinity Early Learners

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children at the door with warm smiles and a friendly hello. The children arrive eager and confident to play and learn. Staff support the children to play games with their friends, teaching them to share, take turns and work together as a team. Children laugh and giggle as they take part in parachute games, working together to bounce beanbags off the parachute. Staff praise children for their efforts and achievements.

Staff ensure that children have the opportunity to play and exercise in the fresh air each day. Children practise their physical skills as they climb over an A frame and complete an obstacle course. Staff closely supervise children as they take appropriate risks, being on hand should a child need help or support to climb or balance. Staff encourage the children in their care to be inquisitive and confident learners. The children delight as they find insects in the garden. Staff foster children's love of insects, talking to them about the creatures they have found, encouraging the children to share what they know about them. Staff support the children to count and use number in their play and they introduce children to mathematical language. Children confidently count the number of spots on a ladybird and talk about its size.

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

• The manager and staff have made significant improvements since the last inspection. They have created a curriculum that encourages children to develop the skills that they will need to gain in order to be ready for their eventual move to school. Staff gain information from parents, and from observations of children, to help them identify children's individual interests. They use this information well to plan activities that they know children will enjoy and will help them build on what they already know and can do.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works with the child's key person, parents and external agencies to access the right support and any additional funding that the child is entitled to. Additional funding is used appropriately by the manager and SENCo to meet the individual needs of children and support them to make the best progress within their learning and development.
• Staff place a focus on supporting children's language and communication skills, particularly for children that have delays. Small-group activities give less confident children the opportunity to retell familiar stories using props. Staff ask the children open-ended questions, they give children time to respond and closely listen to what they are saying. However, the staff have not yet fully considered how to support children who speak English as an additional language to use their home language within the setting.
• Parents speak highly of the staff that look after their children and the bond that their child has with them. They comment that their children enjoy attending and have a lot of fun at the setting. Staff work closely with parents to keep them updated about their child's time at the setting. Parents credit the progress that their children are making within their development to the experiences and support that their child receives while at the setting. However, children's next steps in learning are not effectively shared with parents to enable them to extend children's learning at home.
• Staff support children to develop their independence. Children are supported to pour their own drinks and serve their own snack. Any spills are quickly and swiftly cleaned up to prevent any accidents. However, children are not learning how to keep themselves healthy. Staff do not talk to children about what constitutes a healthy diet and why it is important to wash their hands before eating.
• Staff support children to learn about the traditions, cultures, and festivals that others within their community celebrate effectively. They encourage children to be aware of, and proud about, what makes them unique and individual.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to use their home language at the setting, during every day play and learning activities
• encourage parents to support their children's learning and development at home
• help children to learn about the benefits of healthy eating, and good hygiene practices.