Willow Tree Kindergarten

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to attend. They separate from their parents and carers with ease and independently hang up their belongings on their named peg. Children confidently lead their own learning and decide where they would like to engage in play.

Children are familiar with the setting's rules and expectations. When they return from outdoor play, they remove their shoes and put on their slippers. Older children display an interest in books. They are articulate and tell stories to each other, following the illustrations on each page. Younger children enjoy physical play activities outdoors. They use a wheelbarrow to transport equipment to the outdoor kitchen. Children use their imagination as they mix mud and grass together, before transferring it from one bowl to another. They learn to care for the resources and help staff to wash them in soapy water at the end of the day.

Children develop a good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. A small group of children come together to make apple flapjacks for snack. They learn to wash their hands before starting the activity to prevent the spread of germs. At snack time, children recall the baking process and explain to their peers how they made the flapjack they are eating. They proudly tell the group that they measured the oats, mixed in the honey with a little butter and finally added the apple.

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

• Staff have a clear understanding of each child's personality and individual stage of development. The staff team complete a 'child study' each week to discuss individual children and the progress they make. During this time, staff share their observations and assessments and discuss ideas, such as activities or adaptations to the environment. This supports all children to make high levels of progress.
• Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are confident communicators. At mealtimes they come together around the table with staff and engage in meaningful discussions. Staff skilfully introduce children's home language into these conversations. For example, staff translate keywords relating to size, such as 'big', 'medium' and 'small'.
• Children learn the importance of value and respect for each other. They learn about significant events in life and participate in celebrations, such as birthdays. Staff encourage children to use their creativity and imagination to share a wish for the individual whose birthday it is. Together with staff, children create a book of pictures, each resembling a birthday wish. This supports children to learn the true meaning of events and celebrations and show gratitude for the friendships they have made.
• Staff are good role models. They communicate with children in a sensitive and patient way. Staff support children to negotiate and solve minor conflicts independently. They allow children time to have a go themselves, before stepping in to offer their support. However, staff are yet to fully consider ways to teach children the language of feelings and emotions. On occasion, children display unwanted behaviours as they do not always have the vocabulary they need to express how they feel.
• Partnerships with parents are effective. Parents speak highly of the manager, the staff and the setting as a whole. They feel informed about the curriculum the setting offers and value the opportunities the manager provides for them to be involved in their children's learning. For example, they recently attended a craft evening to create felt puppets for children to enjoy during their play.
• The manager is reflective and evaluates the setting, identifying strengths as well as areas for improvement. She meets regularly with staff to discuss how they are getting on in their role and to seek any areas for further training. The manager recognises where staff have external commitments and works with them to make sure that any extra training is not burdensome. She recognises that due to part-time staffing, alongside the recruitment of new staff, the key-person system needs to be reviewed to make sure parents are clear about their child's key person and the role they have in sharing information about children's learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider further ways to teach children the language of feelings so they can better describe their emotions and share how they feel with others
• review the key-person system to make sure information about children's learning and development is consistently shared and all parents are aware of who their child's key person is.