Wellyboots Day Care

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and are very eager to explore the activities on offer. They develop strong relationships with staff at this warm and welcoming setting. Children behave well, manage their own conflicts and take turns with others. They listen intently and follow instructions. Staff have high expectations for the children in their care and model good manners. They consistently support and praise children who are learning to share and take turns. This has a positive impact on children's behaviour and the respect which they show to each other.

Children have a positive attitude to learning and show high levels of enjoyment and curiosity. For example, younger children enjoy using their senses as they explore the properties of water and make cups of tea at the sensory tray. Older children prepare their hands for writing by developing their fine motor skills. They use chalks to make marks on blackboards, and carefully cut around cards and paper to create pictures to take home. All children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills and learn to move in different ways. They spend a significant amount of their day outdoors and enjoy playing outside in the fresh air. Children develop their core strength and agility as they run, balance and ride bikes in the outdoor environment. They show delight and giggle, as they put on their wellies and splash in muddy puddles.

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

• The passionate and dedicated management team have worked extremely hard since the last inspection. They have implemented several positive changes. For example, they have made significant improvements to the outdoor area and how routines are organised.
• Overall, children's mathematical development is supported well. For example, children learn to recognise simple shapes and match objects. Staff model mathematical words to compare sizes, such as 'big' and 'small', which children use in their everyday play. However, during activities, such as counting and sequencing, staff do not consistently recognise opportunities to extend children's learning beyond what they already know.
• Children benefit from a language-rich environment. Staff engage children in conversations and provide a narrative while they play. They support children to develop a love for books and reading and build literacy into everyday routines. For instance, children enjoy looking at and sharing books independently with their friends.
• Children have a wealth of opportunities to develop their independence and self-help skills. For example, they complete tasks independently at mealtimes, and manage their own self-care routines well. Children make independent choices about their learning from the wide range of activities and resources. This means that children are well prepared when they move on to school.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are highly complimentary about the managers and staff. They comment on the nurturing care they offer and how this supports their children to settle quickly. Parents feel well informed about their children's progress. They value the regular updates and the ideas given to support and extend their children's learning at home.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with the local schools and other professionals. She is vigilant to any signs that a child might need additional support and knows how to make timely referrals to outside agencies. Individual care plans are detailed and shared with all staff. Managers use additional funding carefully to support children's individual needs, including their well-being and learning.
• The management team have a good understanding of what they do well and what they needs to improve. There is a strong team ethos and a shared vision for continual improvement. Managers regularly evaluate the curriculum and work with staff to develop these areas. Staff feel well supported and benefit from regular staff meetings. However, this support and training are not currently focused to make improvements in the teaching of the curriculum, and to help raise their practice to an even higher level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide further support to staff to help them understand how to consistently challenge children in their mathematical development
• strengthen the use of supervision, support and focused training for all staff to further improve the quality and delivery of the curriculum.