Fennies Horley

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children receive effective support to manage their behaviour. For example, with support from staff, children use sand timers to help them share.

They watch for the sand to run through and know when it does, it will be their turn. However, weaknesses in the key-person system mean that not all children's learning is planned for sufficiently well. Also, some staff have too many key children, limiting their ability to support children's learning as effectively as possible.

Babies listen to staff singing songs and reading stories to them, building early communication skills. Toddlers practise their small-muscle skills, such as... when they make snails from clay. They use the palms of their hands to shape the snail's shell.

Staff encourage their understanding of counting, supporting mathematical development.Pre-school children enjoy talking about their emotions with staff. This helps them to manage times of change and express their feelings effectively.

Children engage in the activities that are set out in the rooms. However, staff do not always extend the planning of activities into the outdoor environment. Children are confident and have natural curiosity to explore and find out more.

They ask questions and staff listen to what they say. This helps children feel valued and have a sense of belonging. Children respond well to staff and go to them for comfort and support.

Staff talk to children, calming them while giving comfort. Staff are gentle in their interactions with children. Babies receive cuddles, and staff rock them back and forth to help soothe them.

This helps them to regulate their emotions.

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

Leaders are realistic in their current assessment of the quality of the provision. They prioritise aspects that require their immediate attention and those that they need to action subsequently.

Leaders work with staff, who are dedicated in their roles, and show strength building an appropriate team ethos.There are risk assessments in place for all aspects of the provision, which include stringent processes to meet children's dietary requirements. However, leaders do not always consider the use of internal doors during drop off and collection times to make sure that they minimise all potential risks.

There are clear systems in place for recruitment, induction and training. Leaders tailor the induction program for staff. This supports staff to have the skills and support to provide appropriate care for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Leaders know what skills they want children to learn before moving on to their next age group room or school. They evaluate the indoor environment and how to make effective use of this to support children. For example, they plan to make slight changes to the rooms that are used by the toddlers and the pre-school children.

Their intention for this is to enhance independence skills.There are inconsistencies in the effectiveness of the key-person approach. Not all staff have made assessments of their key children's previous and current levels of development.

This means that not all children's learning is planned for effectively to enable them to make consistently good developmental progress.Leaders assess the quality of staff's practice. They provide feedback to staff to empower them in their roles and share aspects for further improvement.

This helps to build staff morale and supports the qualified and confident staff to be positive role models for other staff.The key-person system helps children build relationships with staff who know children's personalities, likes and interests. However, some staff are key persons for too many children.

This does not enable them to share learning information with other staff effectively. This means that not all staff understand children's next steps in learning so that they can make the most from their interactions with them.Staff plan the environment appropriately indoors.

Outdoors, staff utilise the resource boxes that are pertinent for each age group. However, staff do not always plan the learning environment outdoors to build further on children's skills and what they need to learn next.Leaders and staff develop effective relationships with parents.

Staff gain information from parents, giving them an insight into each child's home life and interests. Parents comment that staff give clear daily feedback and that staff consider children's heritage and support home languages well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date re-evaluate the assessments in place for the security of the doors to minimise any potential risks 11/09/2024 ensure that ongoing assessments support staff to plan effectively for what children need to learn next 25/09/2024 ensure that the staffing arrangements alleviate the workload on key persons to enable all staff to understand how to make the most of their interactions with children.25/09/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the planning of challenging and enjoyable experiences for children outdoors to complement the learning indoors, in accordance with what children need to learn next.