The Little Explorers At Castle Batch

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy on arrival, emotionally secure and eager to start learning straight away. Even children new to the setting, confidently explore the exciting resources indoors and outdoors.

This enables children to make choices and become independent learners. For example, older children experiment with items floating and sinking in water. They correct themselves when they make a mistake and have the vocabulary to explain what is happening.

Younger children join in and they learn from each other. Children learning English as an additional language quickly receive the additional support they need. All children gain th...e skills they need for their future learning and school.

Parents cannot currently come into the setting, as they would have done before the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Instead, staff speak to them daily on arrival and pick up. Staff and parents share additional information via IT and telephone.

This ensures that they can all support children's learning and care needs effectively, both at the setting and home. Children's personal development is extremely successful. Staff appreciate children's contributions and competently enable them to gain the values they need for life.

For example, children happily accept that when they vote on something the majority decision wins. They are extremely positive about each other's differences and what makes them unique. Staff provide expert help for children to manage age-appropriate risks and develop their physical skills.

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

Managers are ambitious and want the best outcomes for children. They continually review their practice and provide good supervision and staff development. For example, staff trained in storytelling keep the children enthralled.

Children eagerly anticipate what will happen next and all show great concentration.Staff help children to remember and recall their learning, so they can use their new knowledge and skills independently. For example, children spontaneously act out a storm.

As they had done the week before, they used water and umbrellas, torches for lightning and clapping for thunder.Older children manage their feelings amazingly well. They can explain their emotions and the consequence of actions extremely successfully.

For example, when they are hurt by a younger child, they explain to staff how it was an accident. They recognise that they still want a cuddle, but it was nobody's fault.Staff plan the environment effectively.

They follow children's interests and make changes to motivate learning. For example, having noticed boys do not choose to do mark making, they set up mud painting in the garden. Staff observed its lack of use and changed to paint.

Soon, many children, including boys, were choosing to take part.Each key person monitors their children's development effectively, to know what they can do and what they need to learn next. Staff make good observations on all children as they take part in self-chosen activities to know how to extend their ideas, which sustains children's interest.

Staff expertly help children to work together, collaborate, and take care of each other. For example, children hold hands in a single line and skilfully manoeuvre around obstacles. They observe each other and wait, moving slowly to enable each child to climb carefully over a large log without dropping hands.

Managers and staff engage effectively with parents and outside agencies, especially for children learning English as an additional language and those with speech concerns. They make certain that children receive early help, ensuring they make good progress.Staff provide good support for children to have enough time to think and respond to questions.

For example, they ask older children why they cannot get juice out of a whole lemon. Children consider this and say it does not have any cracks for the juice to come out. They suggest using a hammer or knife to make cracks.

However, on occasions, opportunities for children to predict and test their ideas, to support their mathematical development, are not as well developed.Partnerships with parents are a strength of the setting. Parents appreciate working consistently with staff to promote children's good behaviour.

Settling-in procedures are tailored to meet the individual needs of the child and family, which means children soon feel secure.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The managers and staff have a good knowledge of their policies and procedures to keep children safe.

Managers ensure staff know what to do to protect children from harm. They act quickly when they identify concerns, seeking early help to promote children's welfare. Staff carry out regular risk assessments and review these for any changes.

They help children to manage age-appropriate risks, so know what to do to keep themselves safe. Managers ensure they recruit suitable staff who have the knowledge they need to understand their roles and responsibilities.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop the opportunities for children to make predictions and test their ideas, to promote their mathematical development further.

Also at this postcode