We comply and actively engage with all relevant statutory requirements, legislation and codes of practice. Our staff, parents are familiar with what is expected in these areas and are involved, where appropriate, in fulfilling the statutory duties.
The managers play a very strong role in maintaining high levels of quality and leading improvement and innovation, learning and teaching, with a focus on impact and outcomes. All staff have clear roles and responsibilities in quality improvement. Our setting constantly explores ways to create more capacity for improvement through developing talents and skills. We provide opportunities for staff to undertake lead roles in a variety of contexts and nurture and develop their expertise and confidence.
We have a coherent vision of what is important for our setting, its community and our children. We routinely use the results of self-evaluation to consolidate what we do well and welcome innovative approaches aimed at improving the quality of learning and teaching outcomes for children. We use best practice in self-evaluation to improve learning. We lead and manage change effectively and strategically by prioritising and focusing on a manageable number of high priority initiatives and communicating them well.
All staff are committed to developing the settings aims and objectives and this is based on effective communication and shared vision. A mutually respectful, valued and equal workplace allows practitioners to develop skills and work together in a harmonious, welcoming, well organised setting.
Regular and comprehensive staff appraisal systems are in place and regularly undertaken, this ensures staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities, their opinions clarified and valued, training needs met, strengths utilised and weaknesses assisted through scaffolding/mentoring and/or training and CPD, it also allows staff to celebrate their successes and identify the next steps. Each member of staff understands what is expected of them through regular supervision. Staff development is well planned, matched to identified needs and draws on local and national expertise. Staff development includes relevant mandatory training, work shadowing, and peer on peers observations. We follow up and evaluate impact, and the findings are used to influence future planning.
We have a mutually agreed expectation and understanding of how the setting is run and regular opportunities are created, through meetings, discussions, observations etc to review current practice in the light of changes at a local and national level-this allows for understanding and security in the work place.
The setting managers ensures the organisational plan, policies and procedures (done in conjunction with staff and, if appropriate, the children) a fair and rigorous recruitment process, assessment of the quality of provision and the maintenance of effective daily operational systems are implemented and are of the highest quality.
Changes are a regular occurrence within Early Years as new guidelines, research, initiatives and statutory requirements are altered, and it is the professionalism and commitment of all practitioners working in the setting that makes the difference to the quality of our care, play and learning.
The managers ensure the monitoring of children’s progress and interventions are developed and looked at through regular meetings with the Senco and are adapted where necessary, this is to ensure the gaps in children’s development are monitored and implemented in the children’s next steps. These are monitored via the children’s next steps, learning journeys and the tracking documents provided by Worcestershire portal/outside support.
If additional funding is applied for, the use of the funding would be monitored for the effectiveness and measured on the impact it has made to the child and the setting.