Tops Stonehouse

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children have a strong bond with staff and eagerly run through the setting doors to greet them. Staff respond warmly and affectionately to children. They make time to listen and talk to children about their experiences from home.

Staff provide good learning opportunities for children to help them achieve the skills they need to succeed. Children benefit from daily outdoor education. They enjoy the freedom of running and developing their physical skills in the fresh air.

Management has a clear vision to provide children with high-quality care and education. They provide effective training for staff that helps to enhance... children's development. For instance, staff provide individual resources tailored to meet children's specific needs.

This encourages children to follow the rules and boundaries of the setting effectively. Staff have high expectations for children's personal, social and emotional development. Children behave well.

Staff encourage them to understand, 'sharing is caring' and to use 'kind hands and feet'. Children have a positive attitude to learning and have good levels of confidence.Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, staff have been unable to take children on regular outings to the beach and the library.

However, the setting plans to continue these trips in the future to enable children to develop their understanding of the world even more.

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

Management and staff are passionate about improving children's awareness of sustainability. They encourage parents to use re-usable nappies and bamboo toothbrushes for their children.

This helps to reduce waste and develop their awareness of the importance of oral health. Staff make 'home-made' wipes for children. They use natural ingredients that are environmentally friendly and kind to children's skin.

Children have good opportunities to be independent. They can access a wide range of resources based around their individual needs. Planned activities combine children's interests, information from parents and staff observations.

This helps to provide a good variety of learning experiences to support children's development.All children enjoy exploring different textures. Babies show excitement as they splash in water.

Younger children enjoy adding paint to water to change the colour. Older children use different herbs and spices in dough to create new smells and aromas. This helps to support children's creative development well.

Partnerships with parents are effective. Parents state how their children look forward to going to the setting and how staff are approachable. There are some opportunities for children to learn new skills at home.

For instance, staff provide parents with nutritious recipes to encourage children to cook and bake with their family. Children can also borrow books from the settings 'lending library', to help develop their early reading skills.Staff know children well.

Children make good progress from their starting points in preparation for their next stage of learning. Babies learn how to feed themselves and explore a healthy range of finger foods. Younger children learn about colours and how to sort them into groups.

Older children make 'tigers', using dough and powder paint. However, at times, staff do not consistently implement activities as well as they could for the younger and older children. They do not make the most of all opportunities to help challenge children's learning to ensure they make even more progress.

Management and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. They work closely with other professionals to ensure children receive extra support to help close gaps in their learning.The setting has a strong emphasis on supporting children's social and language development.

Babies and younger children enjoy listening to songs together. Babies move their body to sounds they enjoy. Younger children join in with action rhymes.

Older children snuggle up with staff as they read their favourite stories. Children develop good understanding and speaking skills.Care practices are good.

Staff use individual cloths to wipe babies' hands and faces. Younger and older children learn how to wipe their noses. They dispose of tissues, washing their hands independently afterwards.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Management and staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding role. They are aware of their responsibilities to promote the welfare of children and how to protect them from harm.

Management work closely with other professionals and agencies to promote children's well-being. The setting is secure to help keep children safe from potential risks from the outside world. Staff teach children how to keep safe.

During mealtimes, children use glasses and crockery. They know to lift their feet up and place their hands on the table should tableware accidentally smash on the floor.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop staff teaching further to provide younger and older children with age-appropriate challenges in their play, to enable children to make even more progress in their development.