Wood Wharf Kindergarten

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children progress well in their learning and development in this stimulating and engaging environment. Staff form warm relationships with the children. They speak in positive, engaging tones. Children approach staff to share their play, or to seek comfort where needed. Staff clearly explain how they expect children to behave, and praise children warmly with descriptive praise when they meet these expectations. For example, children beam with pride, as staff praise them for helping to wipe the table.

Leaders provide a wide range of interesting and enriching experiences as part of the curriculum. Staff support children to experience a range of new languages, such as French, Spanish and Mandarin. They help children to develop physically as they practice yoga or move to music. Staff develop children's understanding of the natural world very well. For example, children learn how plants grow, as they pick seeds out of apples to plant, or help to grow vegetables in the garden. Staff help children to develop their understanding of animals and their habitats. Children observe ant behaviour through magnifying glasses, or witness the transformation of caterpillars into butterflies.

Children have a strong understanding of the daily routines. For example, after lunch, they wash their hands and then take themselves calmly off to have a sleep. Well-embedded routines, such as these, help children to feel safe and secure.

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

• Staff teach children to develop their independence skills. For example, during lunchtime, children carefully serve their own food, pour their water and use their cutlery to eat their lunch. Children also help to clean up, clearing their plate and wiping the table after lunch. Developing these skills helps to build children's self-esteem and prepares them well for the next stage in their learning journey, such as school.
• Usually, staff support children's language development well. They get down to the children's level and narrate as they play, using a wide range of interesting language. For example, staff talk about the 'bumpy ball' as they explore what is in the bag with the babies. They discuss species of butterfly as toddlers paint butterflies together. This helps children to widen their vocabulary and progress in their language development. On occasion though, some staff interactions are less effective. On these occasions, staff focus more on giving children instructions, rather than narrating as children play, or discussing their experiences as they eat.
• Staff plan many opportunities for children to develop their physical skills throughout the day. Children develop their hand-eye coordination as they pour and scoop water, or carefully scrub dolls clean. They develop strength and spatial awareness as they roll tyres around or navigate around the garden on a balance bike. Staff support children to balance and increase their flexibility as they practise yoga skills. Children make good progress in their physical skills.
• Staff support children's mathematical development very well. They use mathematical language throughout the day. For example, staff talk to toddlers about how their beakers are half full or full of water, or talk to pre-schoolers about the shapes in the patterns they are making. This helps children to understand early mathematical concepts.
• Staff support children well in their personal, social and emotional development. They explain to children how to take turns, such as when staff help children to wait patiently to serve themselves their fruit. Staff help children to navigate disagreements with peers by teaching them to resolve conflicts or challenges for themselves. For example, where multiple children want the same resources, children go and get more of these and share them with their friends. Learning these social skills helps children to form positive relationships with their peers.
• Leaders ensure that the key-person system meets children's individual needs well. Staff have a good understanding of the progress that their key children have made, and the next steps in their learning and development. They make good use of children's interests to plan learning opportunities to support children to achieve these next steps. This means that children make good progress in their learning and development.
• Staff build very positive partnerships with parents. They offer regular feedback to parents about the progress children are making in their learning and development. Leaders organise many opportunities for parents to participate in workshops and events. This helps to develop parent's understanding of what their children do in nursery, and builds a sense of community among families .

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve staff interactions with children so that these are of a consistently high quality.