57 Filmer Road,Private Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have warm, happy relationships with children. They take time to find out about each child's likes and dislikes. Staff provide activities and routines that are familiar to children and this helps them to settle successfully. Children enjoy an extensive range of activities. For example, older children enjoy a floating and sinking activity. Staff ask them to guess which objects will float or sink and then put the objects to the test. Staff discuss the outcome with children and this develops their understanding of the concept of floating and sinking successfully. Toddlers enjoy making flower pictures using fresh flower petals. Staff allow children to smell the flowers and teach them new words to describe the scent and colours, such as 'sweet', 'pink' and 'pastel'. Children play together cooperatively. For example, they play well during pretend play in the home corner where they take on different roles. Children learn to share and take turns well. Staff have high expectations of children. They manage children's behaviour well and reward them for positive behaviour. Staff share group rules with children. Children behave well. The curriculum is broad and balanced and builds on their skills and experiences. Children learn useful skills in preparation for school.

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

• Staff plan thoughtful, interesting activities for children. They regularly check children's progress and use this information to ensure that they get the right challenges. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress.
• Children develop a good range of physical skills. For example, a manufactured low hill in the garden is a source of challenge and delight to children as they skilfully climb up and balance carefully on their way down. Children enjoy steering a range of wheeled toys carefully around the garden. Staff organise different challenges for them to develop their physical coordination skills, such as bean bag and ball games.
• Staff support children's creative development well. Children roll, squeeze and knead play dough to make their own models. They add fir cones and lollipop sticks to create hedgehogs and squirrels. Staff teach children new words, such as 'spiky', to describe their models.
• Children have a good understanding of the world. Staff plant and grow herbs and vegetables with them in the garden. They teach children how to take care of plants by watering them regularly.
• Staff support children's mathematical development effectively. For instance, they encourage children to count objects as they play and point out different sizes and shapes in the environment. Staff sing number songs and rhymes to children. Children count securely and have a good understanding of shape and size.
• Staff teach children good communication, language and literacy skills. For
• Inspection report: 57 Filmer Road,Private Nursery and Preschool 16 February 2022 2 instance, they teach children new words as they sing a range of action songs and nursery rhymes. Staff read lots of stories to children and listen attentively to their comments. They question children effectively.
• Staff work well with parents. They talk to parents each day to keep them up to date about their children's progress. Parents are also updated in secure electronic diaries where they can leave their comments for staff information. Staff provide good ways for parents to support children's learning. For instance, staff give them home-activity bags containing resources to use at home.
• The manager has made it a priority to ensure that staff are supported well in their roles. She meets with them individually to discuss and support their workloads and well-being. The manager also identifies staff training needs through discussion and by observing their practice. Staff have attended several courses, including a course on promoting independent learning for children aged two to three years. This has led to improved outcomes for children.
• At lunchtime in the room for children under 12 months, staff do not always engage with babies as they feed them.
• Most of the activities and resources for babies under 12 months are not accessible to babies. This restricts their free choice of what they want to play with.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review lunchtime organisation in the baby room to ensure that staff interact more effectively with babies during mealtimes
• make it easier for babies under one year of age to freely select toys and resources of their own choice, to support their learning and growing independence.
• Inspection report: 57 Filmer Road,Private Nursery and Preschool 16 February 2022 3