Selby Cottage Childcare Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thrive in this warm, welcoming setting. They are provided with a rich, stimulating learning environment which excites and motivates them to learn.

Children thoroughly enjoy investigating the well-resourced garden. They develop their small-muscle skills as they collect leaves and use their large muscles as they negotiate their way around the garden. Children explore natural materials with great interest.

Staff introduce new words, such as 'sycamore', and demonstrate how the leaves fall from the trees. Children learn how to stay safe and manage risks. For example, staff talk about crossing the roads safely and s...upport children as they learn to use a flint and steel to light a fire.

Staff have high expectations for every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Young children develop incredibly close and trusting relationships with the caring and attentive staff. They take time to settle children into the setting.

Staff plan a well-balanced curriculum which is exciting and tailored to children's individual learning needs. For example, staff provide young children with objects to roll as this is a current interest. Parents are extremely complimentary of the setting.

They say that the quality of the care their children receive is 'fantastic', 'amazing' and 'second to none'. Parents also commend staff for the extra support they give families when they are experiencing difficult times in their lives.

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

The committed and passionate manager has an excellent knowledge of her role and individual responsibilities.

She is well supported by her extended leadership team. There is a varied programme of training and professional development for staff. Staff have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the setting and strive for continuous improvement.

Their well-being is paramount. The manager works closely with staff to help them to manage their workload. Regular supervisions and staff meetings ensure staff feel valued and supported in their roles.

As a result, they are highly motivated.Overall, partnerships with parents are a strength of the setting. Staff share information with parents to help them understand how children's learning can be further supported at home.

For instance, home learning packages provide parents with resources and ideas of activities to carry out at home. However, staff do not utilise the information gathered initially from parents, about what children can do, to plan effectively from the very beginning.The quality of teaching across the setting is good and occasionally outstanding.

Staff are highly qualified and have a good knowledge of children's individual needs. They provide children with an ambitious range of activities and experiences which support them to make good progress. Staff support children's communication and language development effectively.

Older children relish in guessing rhyming words as they make 'silly soup' with staff, and younger children listen and join in as staff sing action songs and rhymes.Children, including those with SEND, are very well supported. The special educational needs coordinator is passionate and committed to her role.

She supports staff to produce in-depth support plans help to ensure that children's individual needs are met. Staff work closely with schools, speech and language professionals and other external agencies to provide children with any additional support they require. Additional funding is used well to support vulnerable children.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They demonstrate positive behaviour at all times. Older children are able to resolve their own conflicts and negotiate solutions to their problems.

For example, children are keen to put on a show and sing their favourite songs. They show exceptionally high levels of cooperation and respect for one another as they take turns to perform.Staff provide children with a rich set of experiences that help to develop an excellent understanding of the community.

Children visit the library, go swimming and attend forest school sessions. They visit the local aged miners' homes with care packages and spend time getting to know the residents. This helps children to understand people and communities beyond their own.

Staff support children to develop excellent levels of independence. Very young children learn to serve themselves during mealtimes. Older children develop excellent skills in their own personal care needs.

Children have high self-esteem and are extremely confident.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.As the designated lead for safeguarding, the manager has an excellent understanding of her role in protecting children.

She is confident of procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against herself, or a member of her team. All staff are very knowledgeable about safeguarding legislation. They have an in-depth knowledge of how to report concerns about children's welfare.

Staff also demonstrate a good knowledge of wider safeguarding issues, including the 'Prevent' duty legislation. New staff and students complete a robust induction process to help ensure that they are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: gather more detailed information from parents about what a child already knows and can do when they first start at the setting.