Yew Trees

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, active learners, making full use of the well-organised environment. They enjoy healthy meals and lots of opportunities to be outdoors. Staff provide good support for children's language skills throughout the nursery. For example, babies enjoy looking at family photographs and naming the people in them. Older children ask and answer questions and learn to take turns talking. Children enjoy using books independently and in activities. For example, toddlers act out a story about going to find a bear, using small world resources. Staff help older children to make predictions and test their ideas. For example, they make green by mixing blue and yellow and explore to find out what makes purple. They think of solutions to problems, such as placing heavy items on their tablecloth to stop the wind blowing it away. The setting has stopped parents from entering the setting, as they would have done before COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions. Instead, they have daily discussions at the door and use IT to share information and communicate further. Parents can now attend outside to settle children new to the setting. Parents confirm how much their children's confidence and language skills have improved since attending the setting. They particularly mention the amazing staff and their support during the pandemic.

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

• Partnerships with parents and outside agencies are a strength of the setting. The constant sharing of information enables staff to know how to meet children's individual needs consistently well. For example, babies soon settle as staff follow their routines and care practices from home. Parents confirm that they have thorough daily feedback. They know what their children's next stages of development are to help them support their children's learning at home.
• Managers ensure an ambitious curriculum and have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are excited by their new planning system. They know how activities support children's development and through constant observation they make changes according to the children's interests. For example, when children notice how the wind is blowing their drawing paper, staff change their planning to making kites. Toddlers excitedly join the activity and learn about cause and effect, as well as being creative.
• Staff are kind and gentle with the children. Babies' faces light up when they see their key person. Staff are good, calm role models for children. They have strong relationships and work together well. Children are eager to take care of the environment and the chickens. Staff intervene quickly over minor arguments and remind children of kind hands and feet. However, some staff, occasionally, provide solutions for older children, without encouraging them to resolve conflicts for themselves.
• The managers ensure they spend time working with the staff and children, checking on their welfare and providing good support for staff development. Staff receive effective supervision and time to reflect on and improve their practice. For example, staff trained in sign language use this successfully to support communication with babies and children with SEND. Managers identify where some staff may be less confident in their practice and are currently helping them to focus on how they promote British values.
• Children are independent and confident learners, preparing them well for their next stages of development and school. Staff provide valuable support, enabling children of all ages to do as much as they can for themselves. For example, older children persevere with doing up their zip after staff demonstrate how to do it. Babies learn to feed themselves and all children help with setting up activities. Staff successfully support toddlers with sharpening pencils, extending their vocabulary as they talk through the process.
• Babies and toddlers form strong attachments to staff and receive lots of comfort and reassurance. The staff show a genuine interest in the children and children express delight in their achievements. However, the organisation of lunchtime in the baby room can, occasionally, mean that although staff give high priority to children's emotional security, some babies get upset while waiting for their meal to be cut up and cool enough to eat.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of mealtimes in the baby room to enhance their emotional security even further
• support less confident staff in helping older children to manage and resolve conflicts for themselves.