Coleridge Children’s Centre Day-Care

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive at the setting happy and ready to learn.

The manager greets children at the main school door. Once in the setting, staff support them to quickly engage in the activities that have been organised for them. Children see staff build positive relationships with their parents when they chat together during arrival and collection times.

This helps children to feel at ease and secure. They show they feel safe as they include staff in their play and approach them for comfort and reassurance. Children benefit from the meaningful learning experiences the manager and staff plan and provide.

This is becaus...e staff think carefully about what they want children to learn. Staff consider children's needs and interests in their planning and in the activities available. For example, children play with play dough.

They mould and shape the dough, pretending to make cakes. They use weighing scales to see which piece of dough make the scales tip. Staff add coloured sparkles to the dough, adding a further learning opportunity as children name the colours.

Children skilfully use a range of tools in their play. Children's behaviour is positively managed. Nurturing staff remind children to use 'kind hands' and walking feet inside.

Children receive continuous verbal praise. This raises their self-esteem and confidence, which is a priority for the setting.

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

The curriculum is based on what staff want children to know and do by the time they transition to school nursery.

There is a priority to develop children's communication and language skills and their personal, social and emotional development. Staff follow children's interests. They adapt the curriculum through individualised planning to suit children's abilities.

Children make good progress from their starting points.Developing communication and language skills are a key focus. Specific programmes such as 'Tiny Talkers' help children make good progress in this key area of learning.

Staff share home learning packs and book sacks to provide further opportunities for language and literacy to be promoted by parents. Staff understand what they are teaching and how to support the individual development of each child. However, when key persons are absent, adults covering for them are less clear about individual learning styles.

For instance, restricting children from transporting some resources around the setting. This means, occasionally, children's learning is not supported to the highest level.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well.

The manager is the special educational needs coordinator and a key person to children. Key staff observe children and monitor their progress to identify potential gaps in learning and plan effectively to close these. For example, they provide intensive interaction one-to-one sessions.

Additionally, there is close working with the local authority inclusion officer.Partnerships with parents are extremely positive. Parents say that staff are kind, caring, supportive and communicate well with them about their children's development.

Stay-and-play sessions, parents' evenings and newsletters provide opportunities for parents to be further involved. Parents know that they can speak to the manager at any time and that she will do everything she can to help and support them.Children's developing independence is promoted.

They make choices about their play and then help to tidy the playroom. Children wash their hands and brush their teeth with support from staff, where needed. Children understand the routine of the session well, for example the freely accessible snack time.

However, when the usual routine is not followed, children become confused, and their behaviour deteriorates. Consequently, their social skills and well-being are not as effectively promoted at these times.Children thrive in this setting and their physical skills are promoted each day.

The well-resourced outdoor play area offers opportunities for children to run, jump, balance and explore. Good use is made of the local community as children walk with staff to the local shop. They take a shopping list and learn how to pay for their purchases.

Additionally, visits to the local community park provide opportunities to dig in the sand, play football and use the large equipment. Staff use these occasions to build on children's past experiences.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The setting is operated by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and their procedures for robust recruitment are followed. This ensures the suitability of adults working with children. The manager, who is the designated safeguarding lead, monitors child protection within the setting.

Regular safeguarding training is completed. This means there is a secure knowledge about the signs a child may be at risk of harm. The manager and staff understand the action to take if they are concerned about a child's welfare or the actions of a colleague.

Additionally, staff are fully up to date with current guidance and legislation. The setting is effectively risk assessed.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nensure support staff follow children's usual daily routines and fully understand how specific children learn, to ensure the highest level of support is provided for children's well-being and learning.

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