Abbey Nursery School Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are nurturing and take time to get to know the needs of all children. Children are happy and thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at the nursery. They quickly form close attachments to staff and feel confident to play and explore their new surroundings. Children play cooperatively. They show consideration for others and learn to share and take turns. Children behave very well. Friendships have formed among the older children, and toddlers play happily alongside others.

Children are confident communicators because staff focus on communication and language across the nursery. Staff communicate well with children in a variety of ways. For example, they role model language well and repeat key words. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well here. Older children express themselves confidently, and staff interpret effectively the wants and needs of younger children whose language skills are at an early stage. Staff know children's interests and they provide learning opportunities taking these into account. Staff have high aspirations for all children. Leaders ensure that children who are entitled to additional funding get this, and that it is used to support any gaps in their development.

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

• Staff have high expectations of children and build on what they already know. They provide children with interesting opportunities to develop their curiosity to enhance their learning. For instance, children show interest in flowers they have brought into the nursery. Staff use this to teach children to use their small-muscle skills well. Children strengthen their hands for early writing, as they make circular marks with glue and sprinkle coloured sand onto paper cup cases to make flowers. Staff further extend children's learning as they plant real flowers and seeds for their nursery garden.
• Children's language and communication are of paramount importance in the nursery. Staff provide a language-rich environment where they talk to children, sing songs and read books. Staff also use visual prompts, such as picture cards and a pictorial timetable, to help children to understand rules and routines. In addition, they provide small-group sessions to further assist those children who need support in this area.
• Staff have good role models and high expectations for children's conduct. Children behave very well. They know how to share and take turns when playing. Staff praise children regularly for their good behaviour. This helps to boost children's confidence and help them learn how to share and be kind to others.
• Children are very confident and independent. They take complete ownership during mealtimes, which helps them to manage their own self-care. Staff warmly encourage children to persevere, and children do not give up easily, for example when putting on their coats and shoes.
• Although staff know and understand many key skills children need to acquire, the intended plans for the teaching of mathematics are not always fully implemented. For example, when children practice balancing on stepping stones and jumping over hoops around an obstacle course, opportunities to extend their counting skills are not always maximised.
• The arrangements in place for partnerships with other providers are successful. Staff provide targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other children who need additional help. Subsequently, all children successfully develop the skills they need for their future learning, including school.
• Parents speak very positively about the nursery and the approachable manager and staff. They value the wealth of information they receive about their children's progress and how children enjoy attending the nursery.
• Staff work well as a team. They have regular meetings to reflect on their practice and the learning experiences they provide for children. The manager makes good use of supervision meetings to support staff's well-being effectively. However, the manager has not yet identified further training and development for staff to help raise their practice to an even higher level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• seek wider training opportunities to further develop staff's skills and knowledge and raise the quality of teaching to highest levels
• support staff to implement the curriculum for mathematics more effectively to help further enhance children's understanding of mathematical concepts, such as counting.