Little Rascals

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children love to be physically active as they ride their balance bikes or three-wheeled vehicles or create their own climbing and balancing structures. They learn to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

They understand the importance of eating healthily and cleaning their teeth through, for example role play and discussions at meal times.Children are happy, content and confident. New children settle securely into nursery routines.

Staff build close bonds with children and good relationships with their parents. Children confidently explore and experiment in their play, both inside and outdoors. They rise to staff's high expectati...ons for their success.

Babies feel safe in the care they receive from the knowledgeable staff. For example, they confidently choose toys hidden in a bag that prompt them to sing and remember a wide range of songs and nursery rhymes. Older children learn to recognise and name three-dimensional shapes, such as square-based pyramids, and match them to their two-dimensional components.

Children behave well. They respond positively to staff's frequent praise and guidance. They learn to follow instructions promptly, which helps them to feel safe and secure at all times.

They take good care of themselves and each other. For instance, they remind their friends to put their goggles on when they construct with real hammers and nails.

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

The well-qualified and experienced manager provides strong leadership to her enthusiastic, confident and well-informed staff team.

She sets clear expectations for staff's work and robustly monitors and supports them. Staff carefully research and trial new developments to curriculum and assessment procedures. They provide a bright, cheerful and challenging environment for children to grow and flourish in.

Staff plan effectively overall for children, including those who speak English as an additional language, to progress in their speaking and listening skills. They create many opportunities for children to build and recall a rich vocabulary. For example, they introduce children to complex words, such as 'constellations' and 'atmosphere', through creative and investigative work on space.

Staff model the pronunciation carefully and encourage children to repeat and use the words in their play. However, staff do not consistently plan to further extend and deepen children's language. For instance, by encouraging children to ask their own questions or express their own views when listening to stories or in their creative play.

Children regularly enjoy sitting with a member of staff and sharing a well-chosen book. They learn to anticipate what will happen next and to relish repeating phrases from familiar books. Staff make the stories relevant and memorable by, for instance, linking them to children's creative and role play.

For example, children create snowy scenes from their self-made play dough after listening to a story about animals in winter.Staff take every chance they can to build children's counting skills and understanding of numbers and shape. For instance, they help children to accurately count the number of steps on their obstacle course or the treasure they find in their pirate water play.

They encourage children to calculate one more or one less. Children search for shapes in their sensory and sand play.Staff are very aware of the impact COVID-19 has had on children's social and personal skills.

They work with parents to ensure children have familiar toys and activities when they first start and build bonds with staff and other children. During periods of closure, staff maintained contact with families and offered ideas and resources for children to complete at home.Staff help children to behave well and act safely.

Staff create a calm and organised environment, where children feel safe and respected. They help children to manage and control their emotions. They introduce children to new and interesting social situations, such as small group work to performing a nativity to their friends and adults.

Staff help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make good progress. They identify and address any gaps in children's learning effectively. They work closely with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to support children to reach well-planned and challenging targets.

Parents strongly welcome the support and guidance staff provide. They particularly appreciate the regular communication they receive and strongly recommend the nursery.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager ensures her staff understand their responsibilities to report and manage child protection concerns. Staff have a good awareness of the indicators of abuse and are confident about the process to follow if they were concerned about a child. This includes protecting children from extreme views.

Staff teach children how to cross roads safely when they go on their regular walks and local visits. They help children to play safely indoors and out and handle different resources, such as scissors and hammers.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to develop their planning to further deepen children's language skills by, for example, encouraging children to ask questions and express their opinions.