5 Star Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at this warm, welcoming nursery eager to see their friends. They form friendships as they explore activities and giggle together in anticipation as they fill jugs to find out which holds the most water. Children learn about the world around them when they visit the local park and go on walks together. Staff encourage children to look around them as they go on their frosty walks to see what they can find. Children learn to make independent choices from an early age. They help to hand out plates at lunchtime and serve their food. Children discover more about the food they enjoy as they make their own home-made pizzas together.

Children build on their vocabulary as they sit and listen to stories together. They repeat familiar phrases from the stories and learn new words, such as bricks and straw, when they talk about the different materials to make the pigs' houses. Children behave well. They are respectful towards each other and explain when they are not feeling happy. Staff promote a culture of helping children to understand how to self-regulate their emotions. This supports children's understanding of their emotions and gives them strategies that help them to overcome these feelings when they may become overwhelmed or upset.

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

• Children sit and enjoy activities together. They explore paint with determination as they print with blocks. However, the organisation of some activities does not always enable children to fully engage in their learning. Sometimes when staff ask questions, this interrupts children's engagement in their learning of the activity. This results in them losing focus and they become distracted by what other staff are doing.
• Children spend time in the garden. Staff plan a few activities for children to access outdoors. However, some children wander around and struggle to settle at activities. This is because staff do not plan as well as possible to provide a range of resources that motivate children to explore. For instance, construction tables have no available tools or resources. This means that children do not get the same rich experiences as they do in their own rooms.
• The manager passionately shares how she supports her staff to deliver the curriculum. Staff regularly observe their key children to assess their gaps in their learning. Children make good progress from their starting points and staff share information regularly with parents to keep them updated with ongoing progress.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities(SEND) and children with English as an additional language, have appropriate support in place. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with staff and other professionals to ensure the right support is in place for children to make
• Inspection report: 5 STAR DAY NURSERY LTD 27 January 2023 2 progress.
• Parent partnership is good. Parents value the feedback they receive about their child's development. Staff inform parents of activities they can do with their children to continue their learning at home.
• Staff receive regular supervisions to discuss their professional development and current targets. Staff speak highly of the support they receive from management that makes them feel proud of what they do and boosts their well-being.
• Children show determination as they explore the activities in the room. They choose where they want to play. For instance, children begin to explore the different animals in the sensory tray with oats. They choose to take the oats out of the tray and into the role play-area and pretend to cook with them in the pots.
• Staff support children to build on their skills and knowledge to prepare them well for starting school. Staff encourage children to make independent choices as they get themselves ready to go into the garden. For example, children get their coats on and have a try at zipping them up.
• Children enjoy home-cooked meals prepared by the nursery cook. They follow good hand washing routines before their mealtimes and staff talk to children about why it is important to wash their hands before they eat. Children explain how they wash off the germs so they don't make them poorly.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• refine how staff plan the outdoor provision to ensure all children receive rich learning experiences
• review how activities are organised to ensure all children can continue to focus and fully engage in their learning.
• Inspection report: 5 STAR DAY NURSERY LTD 27 January 2023 3