The Oaks Centre Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are excited to arrive in the morning at this bright and welcoming setting. Children form close bonds with staff, who are calm and nurturing. Children enjoy positive interactions and receive lots of praise for their good efforts.

Staff consider the diverse needs of children attending. They value children's differences and celebrate their unique qualities. Staff support children who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities well.

All children make good progress. Staff plan activities that are enjoyable and engaging, enabling the children to gain new know...ledge and skills. For example, children talk about the moon, planets, the sun and stars.

Children have excellent opportunities to explore the outdoors. Staff make good use of the large outdoor space daily to promote physical health and well-being. Children keenly explore new ways of moving as they climb and balance on the climbing frame.

Staff support children to develop their communication and language skills effectively. Staff read stories and children sing familiar songs and rhymes. Children borrow books from the library and take these home to share with their parents.

Children have a go at putting on their coats. They learn to wash their hands before lunch. This helps to ensure they have self-help skills in preparation for school.

Children behave well. They play well together, with their peers or alongside them. Staff ensure every child's care is tailored to their individual needs.

Children learn to manage their personal care needs well.

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

The management team has high expectations for the children. Staff work with parents to give and receive as much information as possible about their children.

Staff know the children well. Staff consider their individual interests and next steps in learning and development when planning activities which build on children's prior knowledge.Staff provide a range of activities that encourage learning in all areas of development.

Activities accurately match the ages and stages of children's development. For example, staff sit and play alongside children as they count and sort penguins into categories of quantity and colours. This helps to develop children's early mathematical skills well.

Older children are beginning to form numbers and initial letters of their name.Parents speak highly of the manager and the caring staff team. They praise staff's flexible approach to caring and teaching the children.

Parents state that they feel their children are safe and well cared for. They have peace of mind when at work. Staff help parents to understand their children's development and how they can support their learning at home.

Managers and staff have a clear focus on what they want children to learn. They act swiftly when gaps appear in children's development for their age. They regularly review targets to ensure all children benefit from the curriculum.

The manager carries out regular supervision, training and coaching sessions that help to develop staff practice. Staff work well with the local authority and other professionals.Staff work hard to create a language-rich environment.

For example, toddlers enjoy looking at books and singing nursery rhymes. Older children take books home to share with their parents, encouraging children to learn new words to extend their vocabulary.Staff provide children with good opportunities to learn about different cultures, backgrounds and family types.

Children visit local parks and meet people. They learn about dance and music from different countries around the world.Children behave well.

They are motivated to learn as they receive constant praise and recognition for their achievements. For example, they are delighted when the staff acknowledge their concentration and perseverance to complete complex puzzles.Attention is given to support children in their play.

Children relish playing outdoors, where they have many opportunities to develop their physical and literacy skills. Children dig in the mud and explore worms. They say it is 'wriggly' and 'long' and talk about spiders and birds.

Children are delighted to run in the garden as they develop their coordination skills. They confidently use equipment such as the climbing frames and wheeled resources. They enjoy plenty of physical activities and learn that exercise and movement make your heart and bones strong.

Occasionally, in group activities, some staff do not give children enough time to think and respond to questions, to fully develop their thinking skills and extend their learning.Staff offer a suitable range of snacks and meals that meet the children's individual dietary needs. Children learn about healthy eating.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The management team and staff keep their safeguarding training updated. Staff have a good understanding of their responsibility to protect children and how to report any concerns about children's welfare.

Managers work closely with other professionals. They understand the signs and symptoms of abuse and wider safeguarding issues. Staff carry out regular risk assessments to ensure that the premises are suitable and children are kept safe.

The management team has put effective and robust recruitment procedures in place to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. Furthermore, staff are aware of the action to take if they have concerns about a colleague's practice.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff in recognising when children need more time to answer questions, to extend their thinking skills.