1st Choice Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and managers know the children and their families well and form close partnerships with parents to support individual children's learning. They plan an ambitious curriculum for all children, to address any gaps in their learning. Children who speak English as an additional language and those who need support with their communication and language development make good progress from their starting points.

Children thoroughly enjoy the regular outings to the park. They behave well and demonstrate an understanding of rules and boundaries. Older children demonstrate an understanding of how to keep safe, for example, as they transfer themselves from the climbing equipment to a pole and slide down confidently. Children enjoy sharing experiences with their friends. For instance, they search for and collect natural objects of their choice.

Staff teach children to care for each other, share and take turns during play. Younger children form close bonds with the staff. Older children feel comfortable to approach the staff and express their needs when they wish to.

Staff encourage children to use their imagination in play. Children pretend to sell ice cream. Staff join in their play and pretend to choose from the different flavours on offer. Children have fun and are happy in their interactions with the staff.

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

• Leaders and managers provide appropriate training for staff to strengthen their skills in supporting children's behaviour, and to meet the needs of children who need additional support. The staff team assesses children's progress regularly and shares information with parents to help them support children's learning at home. Children are prepared well for next stages in their learning.
• Self-evaluation is effective to identify areas that need improvement. There have been some recent changes to the staff team and the provider is in the process of revising the key-person system to strengthen it further. Meanwhile, they have made suitable arrangements for existing staff to share key-person responsibilities for the children who attend.
• Staff use their skills well to help children build on previous learning. They read a story to children about animals and use props to encourage children's participation. Children are stimulated to join in. For example, they say, 'the camel is grumpy'. They name animals and mimic animal sounds. Children build on their early literacy skills and their communication and language development.
• Staff promote opportunities for children to learn about the diverse world. They help children to learn about people's differences and unique needs. For example,
• Inspection report: 1st Choice Day Nursery 20 May 2025 2 they explain that some people may need crutches when they have an injury. Children build on their early understanding of the needs of others.
• Staff promote children's creativity. Children use their imagination to plan what they would like to make with construction materials. They say that they are building a house and they add rooms to the house.
• Staff provide healthy meals for children and promote their independence. They deploy themselves well to support younger children to learn skills such as using the cutlery. Children understand the routines to follow, and mealtimes are calm and organised. Staff teach children to wash their hands prior to mealtimes. However, they do not consistently promote handwashing routines prior to snack time.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to explore natural materials, such as water. As children play with the small-world boats and ducks, staff use the opportunity to help children recall their previous knowledge of colours and numbers. They sing number songs and children join in.
• Older children learn to express their emotions. Staff support them well to learn to wait for their turn while sharing resources with their peers. Children learn to be kind to others.
• Overall, children are keen to join in the activities that staff plan for them. However, during the start of the day, when some staff are yet to arrive, the quality of staff interactions with children are not fully effective to support all children to extend their play and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen opportunities for children to develop a consistent understanding of handwashing routines, particularly at snack times
• strengthen the quality of staff interactions with children, particularly at the start of the day, so that children's play and learning are extended consistently.
• Inspection report: 1st Choice Day Nursery 20 May 2025 3