The Children’s Garden

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The kindergarten offers a child-led approach to children's learning. Children engage in a range of play-based activities of their choosing, inside and outside. Staff plan exciting, daily circle times and focused activities.

They form strong bonds with children and their parents. Staff and parents set learning and development targets for children together. The gradual settling-in process allows time for children to develop their emotional security.

Children behave well and are happy in this nurturing environment. They enjoy playing with friends of different ages and show respect for each other. Children know staff's exp...ectations and move freely to the next activity.

They respond well when it is time to come in from outside play and to tidy away resources. Children are encouraged to be creative. They engage in a wide range of activities to develop these skills, some of which include baking and weaving.

Children enjoy dressing up and dancing in movement and music sessions. They extend their own play opportunities by selecting building blocks to make large buildings and obstacle courses. Children use their problem-solving skills to enhance and develop their creations.

Staff support children well as they develop their skills in the area of expressive arts and design.

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

Children enjoy celebrating a range of religious festivals that are special to them. They learn about Diwali, Persian New Year, Chinese New Year and Ramadan.

Parents are invited in to talk about why their festivals are special to them. Children enjoy being fully immersed in other cultures. They taste foods, dress up and enjoy engaging in craft activities.

Children understand where their food comes from and enjoy growing a range of vegetables in their garden. They plant potatoes and sow radishes and enjoy taking care of the vegetables they grow. Children use the outdoor tap to fill watering cans to ensure that they help the plants and flowers to flourish.

Staff talk to children about different seasons for planting and growing.Children listen to staff and to each other and enjoy engaging in meaningful conversations. They follow staff's instructions for washing their hands and handing out the cups at snack time.

They share resources and say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children attend well during circle times and wait patiently to be chosen to join in with ring games.Children enjoy fresh air and exercise in their large garden.

They swing on swings, balance on tree stumps and hop in and over tyres. They enjoy climbing ladders and jumping off wooden platforms. Children enjoy engaging their friends in a range of games that involve running, jumping and skipping.

However, they are not always sure how to extend their self-initiated play to fully challenge themselves. Further support from staff would encourage children to maintain focus on these games for longer and maximise the opportunities for self-initiated physical development.Children enjoy role playing in the outdoor mud kitchen.

They use mark-making resources to take orders as they pretend to be in a restaurant. Children prepare a range of dishes for their friends using real vegetables and flowers that have been grown in their garden. They show creativity, naming their soup 'spring soup', and take payments from their friends for the meals.

Children enjoy reading a range of books and retelling stories to their friends. They practise writing using chalks, crayons and coloured pencils. Staff support children's fine motor development in a range of ways through the craft activities on offer each day.

Staff work together as a team. They engage in a range of meaningful training to ensure that they keep their practice 'fresh' and 'alive'. Staff have regular supervision meetings so they can plan for and assess children's progress.

Staff carefully plan a curriculum tailored to individual children's learning and development needs. They make effective use of assessments to ensure that children are supported as they transition to their next stages, such as starting school.Parents are happy and feel fully involved.

Their children excitedly talk about what they have been doing each day. Parents receive regular feedback from staff. They are regularly invited in to meet with staff and other parents, and enjoy the community feel that has been created.

Staff work with a range of external agencies to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need. They have close links with the schools that children go on to attend and make sure that this transition is smooth.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. They carry out regular risk assessments to ensure that the premises are safe. Staff understand the correct procedures in reporting concerns about a member of staff.

They recognise the signs of when a child may be at risk of abuse and there are clear procedures in place for recording and reporting on this. Staff receive regular safeguarding training to ensure that their knowledge is kept up to date.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support children further with their gross motor development to ensure that they are fully challenged during self-chosen play.