Wildern Opportunity Group

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's communication and language development are good. Staff work in partnership with speech and language therapists to support children. In addition, they use signing to help children understand and to communicate their needs.

Children learn how to keep themselves safe. They understand that they must hold their arms out when walking on the balancing beams. They are confident to ask a member of staff for support when needed.

All children make good progress with their learning. Staff are highly effective at tailoring the learning to the individual child. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities enjoy sessions such as 'Bucket Time', which helps them to focus their attention and introduces them to new activities.

Children settle quickly when parents drop them off. They confidently explore the resources and happily immerse themselves in an activity of their choice. They react positively to the learning opportunities. For example, children use small bricks to make a garage and place cars inside. Other children imaginatively make ice creams using sand and containers. The children chat enthusiastically to each other, which helps them to form good relationships.

Children behave well and understand what is expected of them. Staff sensitively remind children about rules, such as walking when carrying containers of water and using their 'indoor voices'.

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

• Staff enthusiastically engage with children and motivate them to learn. For example, children use their imagination to draw a shark and telephone connected by cable. Staff encourage children to extend their own learning by asking questions and showing interest, which motivates new ideas. Children make connections to electricity and mobile phone towers.
• Staff know the children very well and form good relationships with them. They engage the children in conversation and encourage them to participate in activities. Staff ensure that all children feel valued and included.
• Staff are skilled at supporting children to manage their emotions. They sit with the children and talk in a calm manner. Staff use sensory resources and the soft play area to gently focus the children. Children trust them and react positively to the strategies used.
• Partnerships with parents are exceptionally good. Staff keep parents informed of children's progress at pick up and through a mobile app. Parents comment that staff are extremely supportive and go above and beyond for the children. For example, the manager donated a specially adapted pushchair to a child in need.
• The manager supports staff with regular supervision sessions and training. She values staff and considers their well-being. For example, staff comment that she has an open door policy and they feel part of a team.
• Staff ensure that all children have access to the curriculum to support their learning and development. Staff skilfully incorporate the children's interests into activities. For example, children are learning about the life cycle of butterflies, which was inspired by the children's interest. They listen to 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' story and have successfully released butterflies that they have nurtured from caterpillars. This helps them develop their understanding of the world. However, staff do not make full use of opportunities that arise during activities to develop children's mathematical skills, for instance by counting in sequence and recognising numbers.
• Staff provide a stimulating outdoor area for children to develop their physical skills. For example, children climb and balance, showing good control and coordination. They manage their own risks, showing an understanding of how to keep themselves safe.
• Staff actively promote communication and language. They engage children in discussion and use sign language to further support children's understanding of communication. The special educational needs coordinator is skilled at developing resources to further enhance the children's learning and development. For example, children use visual timetables to follow routines, and Makaton signs to communicate their needs. Children enjoy making marks using pencils and chalk. However, staff do not provide a wide variety of experiences for them to encourage free expression in art and design.
• Staff provide a variety of interesting resources and activities for children, to support their learning and development. However, they do not always encourage their self-care and independence skills, such as at snack and mealtimes.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider ways to further improve opportunities for children's free expression in art and design
• support staff to further develop their skills in implementing the curriculum for mathematics
• provide further opportunities for children to develop self-care and independence skills during every day routines.