Wirral Little Sutton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe in this calm and welcoming environment. They separate easily from parents and settle quickly into the activities on offer. Children engage in a range of learning opportunities with support and encouragement from knowledgeable staff. Babies babble and vocalise in response to their favourite stories and songs. Toddlers giggle excitedly as they play parachute games. Older children freely explore features of the natural environment. They hunt for ants and spiders in the trees outside and observe their habitats. Children help to plant vegetables and herbs in the garden. They nurture and water the seeds to help them grow.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Well-organised routines help children to know what is expected of them. Children help to set rules for the room and use photographs to help them know what is happening next. Children learn important social skills, such as sharing and turn-taking. They learn to respect others and to be polite, using manners and kind words. Children learn about emotions and how to manage their feelings and emotions. They make effective use of 'calm spaces' and sensory resources to help them to regulate their own behaviour.

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

• Leaders implement a well-sequenced curriculum to help prepare children for the next stage in their learning. Individualised planning enables staff to plan opportunities based on children's interests and next steps. However, staff do not always consider the best way to extend learning opportunities to accurately reflect next steps. Despite this, children make progress in their learning.
• The role of the key worker is fully embedded across the setting. Leaders and staff are committed to the importance of this role in supporting children's attachment. A buddy system is also in place to ensure that the children form strong attachments with other members of the team to provide a consistent approach to their care. As such, all children are happy, secure and self-assured.
• Communication and language is at the heart of this setting and interactions are of a very high quality. Staff effectively introduce 'buzz words' in all areas. These key words help to enhance and extend children's vocabulary. They clarify pronunciation and sensitively correct misconceptions, which helps children to have a good understanding of words and their meaning.
• Well-organised routines help children to know what is expected of them. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They effectively engage children in setting rules and boundaries for the room. Staff use visual timetables and photographs to help children to know what is happening next. This helps children to develop a sense of autonomy and belonging, as well as encouraging their understanding of the expected behaviours.
• Partnership with parents is exceptional. Parents receive support from staff with child development, health, parenting and behaviour. Staff include them in every step of their child's nursery journey and provide many opportunities for them to extend learning at home. This helps to provide a consistent and supportive approach to the child's learning experience.
• Leaders and staff work effectively with other professionals to best support the needs of all children. They make necessary referrals to other agencies, such as speech and language therapy or the additional needs team, to gain their expert advice and support. As such, all children make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.
• Leaders have made significant improvements since the last inspection. This is particularly evident in their ongoing commitment to staff training and development. Regular personal development plans help to celebrate achievements and identify any gaps in staff knowledge. Leaders then work closely with staff to identify training or support that will help them to make improvements. This continual monitoring helps to consistently improve the quality of teaching and learning across the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to understand how to extend learning opportunities to further enhance children's individual learning.