7 Acorns Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), progress very well in their learning and development. Staff are committed to supporting all children to reach their full potential, providing activities that children enjoy and that offer an increasing level of challenge. Children love to listen to stories. Staff read with expression, very successfully capturing and maintaining children's attention. This, along with the support for children to develop their hand strength and hand-eye coordination, promotes their emerging literacy skills well. Children also benefit from a broad range of opportunities to engage in active play. In addition to regular outdoor play, they enjoy weekly yoga sessions and use soft-play equipment in the large, indoor recreation space.

Staff support children's behaviour and social skills very well. Young children learn to express their feelings and to share resources. As they get older, they develop the ability to take turns and consider the feelings of others. By the time children are preparing to move on in their education, they have the skills they need to express their views, negotiate and compromise. They form wonderful friendships with other children and with staff, spending much of their time laughing at shared jokes.

Staff are extremely warm and caring in their interactions with babies. This nurturing approach continues as children move through the nursery. This very successfully promotes children's self-esteem and helps them to feel settled and secure.

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

• The leadership team is committed to providing a high-quality service that reflects the unique needs of the children attending. Leaders successfully prioritise the emotional well-being of staff and provide ongoing support and training opportunities. Communication between leaders and staff is highly effective. This is mirrored in each group room, resulting in a very harmonious and positive atmosphere throughout the nursery. There is a varied and interesting curriculum that clearly outlines what staff in each group room intend each child to learn and the skills they want them to master.
• Staff use their thorough knowledge of the interests and abilities of each child to provide experiences that successfully capture and sustain their interest. There is small degree of inconsistency in the precision with which individual activities in the curriculum are planned. For example, staff sometimes provide so many interesting resources that children lead their play away from the intended learning. At these times, staff respond promptly, skilfully adapting their interactions to follow children's interests. Leaders recognise that the high-quality of teaching overall means that children progress well and become enthusiastic,
• Inspection report: 7 Acorns Day Nursery 14 October 2024 2 motivated learners. However, this does not fully support all staff to hone their skills in setting up activities to specifically focus children's attention on the intended learning aims.
• Staff promote children's communication and language well. They support the youngest children to develop their vocabulary. For example, staff clearly name different foods or hold up specific objects to help babies learn the name of the item they are being shown. Staff throughout the nursery build on children's evolving language. The highly effective support they receive over time enables children to become effective communicators. They develop the skills and confidence to engage in lively and complex back-and-forth conversations. This prepares children well for their futures in education.
• Children benefit from the strong curriculum for mathematics. Staff weave counting and other mathematical ideas into children's spontaneous play as well as through planned, adult-led activities. They create imaginative ideas to encourage children to recognise shapes and colours. For example, children concentrate intently as they drive toy cars along a line of the same colour. Children also enjoy activities that help them to develop a very secure understanding of pattern and sequences.
• There are very robust arrangements to support children's good health. All areas used by children are meticulously clean. Children develop good personal care habits, including regular handwashing, and are supported to brush their teeth after eating. All children enjoy highly nutritious snacks and meals that are prepared by the nursery chef to reflect their individual dietary requirements.
• Leaders and staff establish very friendly, positive relationships with parents. They share information about children's individual care and achievements verbally and through an online system. They also provide newsletters and invite parents in for events to involve them in the day-to-day life of the nursery. This effective communication supports continuity in children's care, including those with SEND.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to hone their skills and confidence in planning adult-led activities to more precisely focus on the intended learning.
• Inspection report: 7 Acorns Day Nursery 14 October 2024 3