Stanley’s at Whitburn & Marsden

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Managers place the well-being of staff, children and their families at the heart of everything they do. Staff are committed to meeting the individual needs of children and their families.

Parents speak highly of the support that staff have given them. Children are happy and safe. Parents talk about how their children are excited to see their friends and are disappointed when they cannot attend.

Children learn how to use equipment safely and start to take risks with the support of the staff. For example, they learn how to use knives safely. They enjoy using blocks to build a structure that they can climb on safely.
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Overall, staff have high expectations for children. They identify what children need to learn next and plan activities to support their learning. Children settle quickly.

They develop very good relationships with staff and other children. With the support of staff, they learn to share and take turns. Staff help children to understand how their behaviour can upset other children.

For example, they patiently explain to them how they may upset their friends if they take the toys that others are using.

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

Staff support children's literacy skills effectively. Children enjoy looking at books.

They begin to listen to stories that staff read to them. For example, children repeat phrases, such as 'dig, dig, dig' from their favourite stories. They listen to songs and rhymes and begin to sing to themselves as they play.

Managers and staff work extremely well with a range of professionals to ensure that they obtain appropriate support for all families at the earliest opportunity.Procedures for supervision and monitoring are not highly focused on raising the quality of teaching to an even higher level. Managers do not act swiftly enough when they highlight minor inconsistencies in teaching.

Children quickly learn the behavioural expectations of the setting and respond well when they are reminded of the boundaries. Parents feel that the staff have given them strategies that they can use at home to manage children's behaviour. This helps to establish a consistent approach to managing children's behaviour.

Staff have a very strong relationship with parents. All parents are highly involved in their children's learning. For example, they attend sessions in the setting and take activities home to do with their children.

There are very effective strategies in place to enable parents and staff to share information about children's learning.The quality of teaching is good. Staff follow children's interests and seize opportunities to strengthen learning further.

Children have time to choose their own activities and staff join in with them to develop their play further. For example, children laugh and giggle with delight as they realise that they can talk to each other through a cardboard tube.Staff are keen to help children to develop their language skills, overall.

When they talk in very simple phrases, children copy and repeat what they are saying. However, some staff do not always model language effectively, particularly for younger children. For example, they sometimes talk in long sentences and ask too many questions which children do not always understand.

Children are incredibly confident and independent. For example, two-year-olds attempt to peel their own fruit, pour their own drinks and put on their coats. Older children attempt to spread cheese on their crackers.

Staff provide children with a healthy diet and children quickly learn how they can contribute to their good health. They rapidly learn that they must wash their hands before they have their snack. Children know that they put their coats on before going outside.

Children have a very good start to their early education. Staff carefully consider how they can build on the skills that children have at home. For example, they gradually introduce creative materials to children who have not experienced them before.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good understanding of how to protect children from harm. They know how to identify and report their concerns about children to keep them safe.

All staff have a good understanding of wider safeguarding issues. Managers ensure that the environment is safe and well maintained. They act swiftly when any hazards are identified.

Recruitment procedures are strong. Thorough checks and ongoing suitability checks help to ensure that all staff are suitable for their role.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nensure that staff consistently adapt their language when talking to younger children to help them develop their language and vocabulary strengthen procedures for supervision and monitoring and act more swiftly on minor inconsistencies to raise the quality of teaching even further.

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