Twinkletoes (Early years) Pre-school Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children quickly settle into the familiar routines of the day and show they feel reassured and safe at the welcoming nursery. Staff show an interest in what children have to say and ask questions to extend their thinking and language. They encourage mutual respect and good manners. Staff are positive role models, showing warmth towards children and being highly attentive to their needs. This helps children to have positive attitudes and behaviour.

There is a strong focus on children's supporting children's emotional regulation, confidence, and resilience. Staff understand children's preferred play patterns. They plan targeted activities that are tailored to children's individual needs. These support children to focus and engage more effectively. Children enjoy the exciting activities available to them, and this helps them behave well. Staff are calm in their approach if children get frustrated or upset. They intervene quickly to prevent disagreements escalating. Children explore and investigate alongside their peers and are supported to understand their own and other's emotional needs.

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

• Staff deliver an effectively sequenced curriculum. They plan activities which follow children's interests to help to ensure that children are motivated to learn. Staff assess what children have previously learned and can do. They regularly observe children and use their findings as a foundation for further learning. Children make good progress in all areas of their development.
• Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they have access to indoor and outdoor spaces where they can move in different ways. Children enjoy climbing and balancing on climbing frames and slides in the local park. They learn to manage risks from a young age with encouragement and support from staff. This helps children to develop confidence, as well as improve their strength and coordination.
• The managers ensure staff implement fun and engaging activities. For example, they provide real food to explore and play with in the role play 'Harvest Shop'. Children learn new vocabulary as they describe the autumnal items that they have found at home. Overall, children remain focused during these activities and experiences. However, at times, staff are less confident in using spontaneous opportunities to develop children's play and extend their learning. This does not fully support children to consistently build further on their knowledge and skills.
• Children enjoy adult-led group times as part of their daily routine to support their listening and attention skills. Younger children, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are invited to engage and sing along with activities, such as rhymes to count and name the days of the week. Staff ensure that all children are involved and included in the daily activities.
• The curriculum offers wonderful learning opportunities in and around the local environment. For instance, children enjoy regular visits to the park and nearby shops. Staff also help children to develop some understanding of personal difference and identity, for instance they discuss their likes and dislikes and find out what makes them unique. However, these experiences are not yet fully extended to help children learn in greater detail about wider cultural experiences and the wider world in which they live.
• Parents state they feel well informed about their child's progress in the nursery. For example, staff keep parents up to date with their child's learning and development via an online digital app. Staff build strong relationships with parents to ensure open communication and combined efforts to support children's emerging needs.
• Leaders are reflective of the provision and understand the importance of ensuring that staff feel valued. They review staff performance and demonstrate that they benefit from ongoing professional development. Leaders provide a wealth of training opportunities for staff, much of which is delivered at face-to-face staff meetings and by using an online training package. Staff practice is continuously improving as they are supported learn more about how children learn and develop.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to more consistently extend and challenge children's learning during spontaneous play
• enhance the provision for children to learn about diversity outside of their communities and in the wider world.