Skylar

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Managers and staff share a passionate commitment to offering children and families opportunities to build happy memories and enhance their life experiences. Babies and children thrive in the excellent care of staff. The high staff-to-child ratio means that children receive individual attention, or work in small groups, so that they are offered the very best opportunities to learn.

Highly qualified and experienced staff provide children with unique support, based on their excellent understanding of children's individual needs. Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the setting and show great interest in their surrounding...s. Managers provide a broad curriculum through exceptionally well-equipped play areas and stimulating and highly motivating activities.

Staff prioritise and provide outstanding support for children's language skills and emotional development. This helps to successfully prepare children for further learning. The exceptional range of innovative activities means that children are enthusiastic and highly motivated to join in.

For example, they show great excitement when the 'music man' arrives. Children listen intently, sing enthusiastically and show high levels of pride as they learn how to copy the actions to their favourite songs. To extend learning, staff provide children with instruments to learn more about rhythms and to experiment with sounds.

From the youngest age, children show a keen interest in books and develop early literacy skills. For instance, toddlers become engrossed as they point to pictures and photographs in books. Older children persevere and show determination as they learn to use pencils and scissors with increasing control.

Staff involve parents exceptionally well so that children's learning is further supported at home. Parents describe how much their children love to read the books that they take home and play games with the flash cards.

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

Managers and staff are ambitious and passionate about their provision.

They successfully identify areas for further development and immediately address them. For example, effective plans are underway to extend and enhance the opportunities for adventurous outdoor play activities. In the latest project, staff provide extremely helpful health information for parents.

For instance, they give ideas on how to reduce sugar and salt in children's diets. Staff demonstrate how to cook and freeze suitable food for babies as an economical option.Staff have exemplary teaching skills and expertise.

They have excellent knowledge of children's individual needs and next steps in learning, which they use exceptionally well to support children's progress. In particular, their support for children's emotional development is excellent. Babies and children demonstrate that they feel extremely secure through the positive bonds they form with staff.

Children rapidly respond as staff successfully teach them how to consider options to find solutions to a problem. Children very quickly begin to understand how to manage their feelings and behaviour.Staff work in excellent partnership with other agencies and parents, to help children make the best possible progress.

Additional funding is used exceptionally well to extend children's learning opportunities and experiences. Staff provide ongoing support in the longer term to maintain the excellent partnerships. For example, staff continue to support children in other settings, including school, which provides excellent continuity for children and families.

Managers provide high-quality training programmes to support the continuous professional development of staff. They have the very highest expectations of their staff to ensure children receive the best possible opportunities to learn. For instance, all staff who provide short-term cover are experienced and qualified to at least level 3.

Staff complete specialist courses to enhance their knowledge and skills in order to meet the needs of children attending. For example, perinatal and infant mental health training has given staff a deeper understanding of the impact on parents and children. This has enhanced their ability to identify and respond to the earliest signs of families being in need of support.

Parents provide extremely positive feedback about their connections to the community organisation. They are very enthusiastic about the setting and their partnerships with staff. Parents describe the exceptionally positive benefits and outcomes for children who attend.

They appreciate the excellent advice and support that staff provide, which helps them to further contribute to children's learning at home.Staff organise exciting outings for children and invite interesting people to visit the setting. Such experiences extend children's learning and understanding of the world.

Staff promote inclusion exceptionally well and skilfully teach children to value and respect differences. For example, children learn to consider the needs of others as they have great fun making spectacles and pretending to be at the opticians. Staff involve children in numerous events and celebrations throughout the year.

They display children's creative work for extended periods of time, so children can see and remember what they have learned.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Managers and staff have a thorough understanding of their exceptionally detailed safeguarding policies and procedures.

They complete regular training to ensure their knowledge of child protection is accurate, so that they are confident to take prompt and appropriate action. Their exemplary partnerships with parents and other agencies result in highly effective family support. Robust vetting and recruitment procedures are in place to check that staff are suitable.

Managers have a clear understanding of the notification requirements, including in relation to changes in senior management. Managers place the highest importance on the safety and welfare of staff and children. They complete detailed risk assessments, on and off the premises, to identify and minimise any possible risks.