5 Star Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this inviting nursery. Welcoming staff greet children and escort them to their base rooms. There is a strong focus on supporting children's communication and language. Staff make good use of songs and stories to encourage children to practise speaking. Staff use guidance and assessment tools to identify any gaps in children's language. They use this information to plan activities and make referrals to other professionals. This helps children to get the early and ongoing support they might need.

Staff share details with children about their heritage and background. They discuss their life experiences, bring traditional clothing for children to wear, and cook food from around the world. This helps children to understand about different cultures and what makes them unique. Consequently, children learn about respect and each other's values.

Children are physically active. They enjoy daily outdoor play. Staff encourage children to take age-appropriate risks, such as by climbing trees and balancing on tyres. Children relish the sense of achievement when they complete tricky tasks. This builds children's confidence and teaches them about their capabilities. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their development.

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

• The manager has a clear focus for what she wants children to learn. There is a rich and varied curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. The quality of teaching is good. However, sometimes, when planning set-up activities, staff do not fully consider how they can improve children's engagement and make it accessible for everyone. For example, children play at a water table that is pushed in a corner against a wall. Some younger children struggle to find space, so they quickly lose interest and move away.
• Children are forming friendships and show kindness towards each other. They delight in working together to pedal tandem tricycles and play football. Older children are learning to share and resolve conflicts. Staff are attentive to unwanted behaviour; they ask children kindly to stop by saying 'no thank you'. However, they do not fully explain the impact the behaviour has on children's safety or the feelings of others. As a result, children do not always gain the understanding about why they should not repeat the behaviour again.
• Staff feel well supported in their roles. They receive regular supervision and feedback from the manager. There is a focus on their well-being. Regular treats and staff appreciation days are celebrated. As a result, staff feel valued and morale is high.
• Inspection report: 5 Star Day Nursery 5 March 2024 2
• Support for children with SEND is good. Staff are attentive to their needs. They show kindness and warmth and offer cuddles and reassurance when children are unsettled. They ensure that children have close support at mealtimes and that their comforters are within easy reach. This helps children to feel safe, secure and settled.
• Staff gather valuable information during verbal handovers with parents. They also share daily details via an online app. This includes updates on children's development progress, what they have eaten and pictures. This effective two-way communication helps to build strong and lasting relationships between families and nursery. Staff regularly share ideas, books and resources for parents to continue learning at home. This helps to consolidate learning between home and nursery.
• Mealtimes are sociable. Staff sit with children to eat and chat with them. Children are learning independence as they pour their own water from a jug and begin to feed themselves. Staff praise their efforts and prompt the use of 'please' and 'thank you'. Consequently, children are learning good table manners and are being well prepared for their next stage in education.
• Parents speak positively about the nursery and the staff. They clearly attribute their children's progress to that of the nursery and the teaching they receive. Parents say their children love to attend and the staff are friendly. These positive relationships support the overall emotional well-being of children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consider how they can further improve children's participation in set-up activities, so that all children can engage in learning
• build on the staff's teaching of behaviour boundaries, so that children fully understand the impact their actions have on safety and the feelings of others.
• Inspection report: 5 Star Day Nursery 5 March 2024 3