Your Co-op Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-School Hetton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Staff help all children to excel and thrive in this nursery. They ensure children are exceptionally well prepared for starting school and provide a highly ambitious curriculum.

Staff use consistent strategies across the whole nursery to promote children's speech, self-confidence and physical skills. They skilfully teach children new skills, wherever children choose to play, and they use open questions that encourage critical thinking. Children show excitement and enthusiasm to learn.

They develop into strong, individual characters and show confidence in communicating their needs.Staff are excellent role models f...or children. They model good manners, sharing and kindness.

Children's behaviour is very positive. They understand the importance of being safe and follow boundaries with ease. Staff create an environment where children can talk openly about how they feel.

They discuss worries about starting school, and staff provide extra support to help them feel safe.Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the manager has worked closely with the staff to assess children's development carefully and adjust teaching accordingly. All staff have accessed Makaton training and use initiatives from the local authority to support children's communication and language development.

Additional funding is used effectively to provide children and their families with a broad range of experiences. For instance, children and their families went on a trip to the farm with staff. This helped to build even stronger bonds with families and maintain excellent partnerships.

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

The curriculum for children is exceptional. Staff use consistent themes and routines in each room, which are adapted appropriately for children's stages of development. This helps children to be familiar with routines and well prepared as they move through the nursery.

Staff focus on supporting children to build secure foundations for their future and ensure gaps in their learning close swiftly. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are exceptionally well supported. Staff swiftly identify any areas of potential delay and support parents in seeking advice from other professionals.

The manager and leadership team provide staff with tailored support and encourage them to progress in their careers. Staff are ambitious, passionate and dedicated in their role. They access bespoke training packages that are centred around supporting the children they work directly with.

The organisation focuses on promoting staff's well-being, and staff have access to a wide range of support services. Staff say they feel extremely valued here.A key strength in the nursery is the way staff help children develop their understanding of the world.

Pre-school children form part of an eco-warrior committee and take part in litter picking in the community. They wear their eco-badges with pride and take responsibility for turning off taps and lights. Children understand why this is important and talk about saving the planet.

Young children thoroughly enjoy exploring noodles with chopsticks and draw Chinese marks in their creative play. Staff focus on supporting children's small physical skills during these activities while building on their awareness of other cultures. Staff ensure children's diversity and differences are celebrated.

Children develop a strong sense of self from an early age. Toddlers use the mirror to look at themselves and explore the pictures of facial features stuck on the wall.Older children show exceptional levels of focus and concentration.

They are engrossed in a range of activities and choose where they would prefer to learn. For instance, children choose to work creatively, and staff follow their lead as they begin to explore colour mixing. Staff model how to use scissors safely and praise children for persevering.

Staff in the baby room work extremely hard to help babies feel safe, settled and secure. Babies develop strong bonds with their key persons and benefit from their nurturing, gentle approach. Staff know how to meet their individual care needs and ensure their team know how they prefer to sleep and be held with their bottle.

The manager continually drives improvement forward with the team. She has high standards and high expectations for all. Feedback is gathered from parents using a forum and parent committee.

In addition, staff and children also provide feedback on how they feel about the nursery and things they would like to develop. For instance, children are helping to enhance the outdoor area and have requested a boat for imaginary play, which the parent committee has now sourced.Partnerships with parents, carers and other professionals are highly effective.

The manager works alongside the local authority and other professionals to help provide support and advice for families. Parents and carers leave outstanding feedback for the nursery. They say they are fully involved in nursery life and it is evident that staff constantly strive to improve.

Others say they have had a fantastic experience and that staff have children's best interests at heart.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.