Abacus Nursery and Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Highly effective leaders, alongside equally devoted and knowledgeable staff, demonstrate exceptional dedication in providing children with an inspirational environment and curriculum. From the moment children start in the setting, every detail of their lives is factored into giving them the ambitious, tailored learning experiences they need. Children confidently leave parents and settle with activities that instantly engage and stimulate their desire to play.

All children make steady and sustained progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language. Any additional funding is used by leaders to provide optimum levels of teaching, such as through adaptations to the environment and specific training for staff. This provides children with the skills they need to become successful learners in the next phase of their education, including school.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. Many of them are new to the setting, due to the start of term. Staff take time to ensure all children's needs are known to them, so they can immediately support their communication skills and emotional well-being. They play alongside them to assess their skills, and regularly speak with parents to establish new routines. This means they quickly form strong bonds with children to provide what they need at the right time.

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

• Leaders work with staff to create an exceptionally ambitious curriculum, based on children's interests, skills and knowledge. They assess children's starting points to sequence their next steps in learning. They work swiftly to identify any delays in children's development and learning, and address these using well-researched teaching strategies. This means all children make the progress of which they are capable, and many make excellent progress.
• Staff skilfully help children remember things they have learned by providing different contexts for them to test out their skills and knowledge. For example, when children show an interest in making volcanoes in the sand, staff continue to extend their knowledge throughout the day. Children spontaneously use new words, such as 'eruption' and 'lava', while they build and draw. Staff help children research further on the internet, demonstrating to them how technology can help them develop greater understanding.
• Staff provide excellent teaching to help children communicate effectively. For example, they consistently use visual cues and signing alongside speaking to develop children's understanding. They help children use photographs of key routines and resources to help make their needs known to staff. Children engage with staff as they sing and read books together. They show high levels of listening and attention. This helps them develop a wider vocabulary and an appreciation of stories and wordplay.
• Children demonstrate a deep love of the outdoors, when they explore the exciting and inspirational garden. Staff plan well-resourced and highly creative areas where children develop their imagination, such as when they pretend to be builders, or make 'mint smoothies' in the mud kitchen. They develop their core strength and muscles, when they dig in the sand, draw with chalk at the easels and balance along the obstacle course. Staff use their excellent child development knowledge to extend children's physical skills, to provide well-sequenced and targeted teaching.
• Staff provide children with experiences that elevate their knowledge of the community and the world. Children learn about their responsibility for caring for the planet when they recycle, plant vegetables in their allotment and look after wildlife. Staff know children and their families well and ensure their backgrounds and cultures are seamlessly woven into the daily curriculum. This helps children understand how special and important they are. Children thrive in the warm and supportive interactions they have with staff.
• Children's well-being is placed at the heart of everything staff do. Children learn the importance of looking after their bodies and teeth, eating well and expressing their feelings and emotions. This builds strong foundations from which children become independent and resilient learners.
• Parent partnership is exceptional. Over time, staff have built incredible relationships with parents, who are fully engaged in their children's learning. For example, staff work closely with them to provide everything their child needs to thrive, such as additional resources or support and advice. Parents are recognised as the most important educator in a child's life and staff ensure they are given excellent support to enjoy parenting their young children.
• Staff benefit from extensive professional development opportunities and training. They support one another to always improve the lives of children. They delight in sharing observations when they notice significant improvements and achievements in children's learning.