White House Kids Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children are supported with their emotional well-being. For instance, when new children start, they receive cuddles of reassurance from staff. This results in new children laying their head on staff's shoulders and showing they feel safe in their care. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported emotionally to manage transitions throughout the day. For instance, staff show them pictures to help them understand what will happen next, such as when it is time to come indoors and lunchtime.

There is a focus on providing children with experiences to develop a love of books in the setting. Children access books and look at these independently. They take books to staff for them to read stories. Furthermore, parents are encouraged to read with their children in the setting and at home. This helps all adults to support children's language and literacy skills.

Children are supported to keep trying when they face challenges. For instance, when children are asked to take lids off containers and they struggle, staff help them and encourage them to keep trying. This helps children to succeed. Children show kindness, such as helping to carry cups to the snack table and tidying away toys. They receive praise from staff for their achievements, helping to raise their self-esteem.

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

• The leaders support staff through, for example, in-house training, to develop their knowledge of the new curriculum. This helps staff to understand how to plan and support children to make good progress in their learning. This includes staff helping children to be curious about the world around them. Staff help children to understand how rain falls onto leaves and then onto the ground or their heads. Children look with staff for rainbows in the sky when the sun shines and it is raining.
• Children are supported to manage their self-care skills. For instance, children use a step to reach the sink to wash their hands. Staff remind children to get tissues to wipe their noses. Children show that they have a sense of belonging in the setting. However, the support for children who speak English as an additional language is not as effective. For example, staff do not provide them with experiences to learn about their home languages, traditions or cultures to contribute to their understanding of what makes them unique.
• Staff support children to develop their physical skills. They plan activities that encourage children to develop the muscles in their hands in preparation for early writing. Children copy staff's actions as they squeeze, poke and roll dough in their hands. Children use pencils and paint brushes to make marks on paper.
• Children with SEND are supported well by leaders and staff. They work in partnership with parents and other professionals and make timely referrals to meet children's individual needs. Targets are identified and implemented to help children progress. Additional funding that some children receive is spent effectively to meet their individual needs.
• The staff and cook offer children a range of nutritious foods to promote healthy eating. However, at times, staff do not adapt their interactions to help children understand what foods are healthy and the impact foods can have on their bodies.
• Staff are skilful at supporting children to understand the rules and boundaries in the setting. For instance, when children engage in lively imaginative play, staff get down to children's level and calmly talk to them about staying in a certain area of the room to help avoid them running indoors. This sensitive approach shows children respect while still allowing them to continue their play.
• Leaders support staff with their practice and well-being effectively. Staff attend training courses to develop their knowledge of how to promote children's safety. Staff have access to counselling services and are encouraged to meet away from the setting for team building activities. Staff show positive relationships with each other that children see, creating a culture of togetherness and respect.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to support children who speak English as an additional language to develop a stronger sense of belonging in the setting and to understand what makes them unique
• support staff to strengthen their interactions to help embed children's understanding of the benefits of healthy eating.