Wind In The Willows Childcare (Longbarn)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff build strong and supportive attachments with all children and their families. Parents value the genuine interest staff show in their children. These relationships help children to bond quickly with staff. Children feel secure and are mostly motivated and keen to learn new skills. Staff plan activities that help to prepare children for the next stage in their learning. Children develop positive attitudes to their learning. The planned curriculum builds on the knowledge and skills that children already have and what they need to learn next. Children are confident and hold meaningful conversations with their friends and adults. They happily approach adults and involve them in their play.

Babies are curious and inquisitive. They are keen to try new activities. Babies laugh and show delight as staff sing familiar songs and rhymes. They eagerly take turns, showing their early knowledge of turn-taking. Children follow instructions and respond to requests. They clearly understand staff's expectations of them. Staff are nurturing and supportive. They give children an abundance of praise for positive behaviour. This creates a calm and respectful atmosphere in which children thrive.

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

• The curriculum for physical development is ambitious. Children develop their strength as they dig in the mud pit and move soil in buckets. Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their coordination as they dance and exercise. Children giggle and beam with pride as they learn to use balance bikes and scooters. These experiences give children the opportunity to develop their physical skills, stamina and dexterity. This approach helps to prepare children for future learning as they begin to understand their own bodies.
• Staff work hard to give children enjoyable experiences that they may not otherwise get. The curriculum for personal and social development is designed to enhance the early experiences of all children. Leaders want children to learn about the environment. They provide an abundance of opportunities for children to grow and harvest vegetables, litter pick and plant flowers in the community. Children develop high levels of self-esteem and essential skills to help them flourish.
• Generally, staff support children to develop their communication skills. For example, staff teach children to use signs to communicate their needs and introduce new words to children as they play. However, staff do not always allow children time to respond to their questions. They sometimes fill the silence with more questions and do not give children the correct answers. When children use words incorrectly, staff do not always demonstrate the correct use of the word. These strategies do not consistently support children to develop their emerging vocabulary.
• Staff help children to develop a love of reading. They introduce children to a range of engaging texts. Stories about nature have become a firm favourite. Staff provide opportunities for children to snuggle up in the garden and listen to stories in the cosy wood cabin. Children love the book swap shed. They take books home to share with their families. This helps to establish a consistent approach to learning.
• Staff feel supported to complete their roles. Managers offer supervision opportunities to staff to discuss aspects of their role. Staff explain that their well-being is prioritised, and their workloads are manageable. Managers complete observations of staff and children's interactions. However, at times, the feedback given to staff does not precisely focus on helping staff to further enhance their practice. Consequently, there are some occasions where activities are not organised to fully engage children in the learning on offer.
• Parents are grateful for the support that staff offer them. Staff provide parents with advice and guidance on child development. Staff provide parents with information to help their children learn at home. Parents appreciate the support and advice about toilet training, weaning and other significant events. They welcome opportunities to attend the nursery for stay-and-play sessions. These events make a positive difference to engaging parents in children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently implement strategies to further enhance children's communication and language development
• provide staff with precise feedback and support to plan activities that fully engage children in their learning.