St Teath Children’s Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely happy and confident in this setting. They know they are truly valued and respected.

Children are excited to explore the environment as staff are passionate and committed to offering them exciting opportunities to help them learn and develop. All children make excellent progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is because staff follow an extremely well-designed curriculum.

Pre-school children test their ideas about floating and sinking. They talk through their plans and watch the results with fascination as they drop... stones, leaves and fruit into water. Staff expertly ask questions to challenge their thinking.

Babies excitedly explore sand and learn that it moves and sticks to things.Children behave extremely well as they know what is expected of them. They follow routine exceptionally well and develop excellent independence skills.

They prompt staff to play the tidy up song at the right time. Children of all ages are deeply engaged in their play and learning. They show a can-do attitude and persevere with challenges.

Pre-school children work collaboratively to find pretend buried treasure. They quickly learn how to operate a metal detector and listen carefully for the beep to tell them where the treasure is. Toddlers excitedly explore safe edible paint, relishing the sensory nature of it and concentrating as they make marks on the table.

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

Children, including those with SEND, make significant achievements in their learning. Knowledgeable staff expertly support their mathematics skills. They interweave counting and numbers through activities.

Pre-school children place discs and cogs in sequences into squares to form patterns. They skilfully count the discs and cogs up to 19. Staff introduce language for odd and even numbers expertly, extending children's learning.

Younger children knowledgeably use language for measuring. They say if items are 'heavy' or 'light' as they select materials for building.Staff precisely and regularly assess children's development.

They provide excellent opportunities through focused group activities targeted closely at each child's stage of development. These skilfully planned groups highly motivate the children. They are encouraged to give things a go and take on board new ideas.

They stay engaged for long periods of time because activities offer just the right amount of challenge and interest for them. They work collaboratively, accepting other's ideas and supporting each other thoughtfully.Children are extremely kind and respectful.

They learn how to label feelings and become aware of the needs of others. They develop a deep acceptance of others, through skilfully planned opportunities that help them make sense of the world around them. For example, staff have created dolls from other countries with inspiring stories and personalities.

Children take the dolls on adventures and recount these in story books that they share back at the setting. Staff extend their understanding further using maps, exploration of items from different countries and innovative 'postcard swaps'.Staff are incredibly caring and considerate when they support babies and toddlers.

They sing gently to them when they change their nappies and sit calmly next to them at mealtimes to support their eating. Older children are encouraged to be independent and develop an awareness of healthy lifestyles. These children clear up after snacks and meals.

They independently wash their own dishes. They tidy up the toys at the end of each session and work collaboratively to get ready to go out to the park.Partnerships with parents are excellent.

Parents praise the progress their children have made since attending the setting, particularly with their speech and language. Communication to parents from staff is excellent. This means parents know what their children are learning.

They know what the children's next steps are and how to continue supporting children to achieve them. Parents feel very supported by leaders and staff. Staff work closely with parents whose children have SEND to ensure these children are able to reach their potential.

Leaders are extremely reflective and use self-evaluation to constantly improve outcomes for children. Leaders support each other and the team brilliantly. They advocate training and development and use this to inform and improve practice.

For example, staff in the baby room recently attended training to support babies' communication further. They then enhanced the resources and the layout of the room to encourage and inspire babies' investigation and communication. Babies are babbling and repeating new words more as a result.

Leaders share their vision and ethos clearly with staff. This means they all work incredibly well together to ensure children have excellent outcomes.Children's communication skills develop exceptionally well.

Staff model and encourage a wealth of language from babies and toddlers. They sing rhymes and songs with them and label items promptly as they explore. Staff take the time to promote in-depth and detailed conversation with pre-school children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a deep understanding of safeguarding and know how to recognise potential signs of abuse and the wider issues, including the Prevent duty. They know how to take appropriate action to support children who are at risk of harm.

Managers have extremely effective systems in place to keep staff knowledge and the understanding of policies and procedures updated. Managers use monthly audits to assess safety of environment and act when anything becomes a possible hazard. Leaders have excellent recruitment processes in place to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children.

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