ABC 123 Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders have developed an engaging and vibrant nursery, which positively supports staff and children's well-being. Children feel safe and secure. They confidently enter the nursery with big smiles and are excited to play with their friends. During the day, older children seek out their key person to help them with activities. For example, they ask for help to thread the pasta onto ribbons. Younger children cuddle their key person for reassurance when they are feeling sad. This shows that an effective key-person system is in place. Staff set high expectations for children. Since attending recent training on supporting children's behaviour, leaders have made this a key focus of the curriculum. In the main, staff support children to understand their feelings. For example, as children explore the book 'The Colour Monster', they talk about what makes them feel happy or sad. Staff are positive role models. They gently support children with their turn-taking skills and help them to resolve conflicts. Overall, children behave well and develop kind attitudes towards others.

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum that promotes a love for reading, stories and rhymes. Staff sing and read with animation and enthusiasm. Babies enjoy singing about a 'tiny turtle' as they explore a bubble tray. Staff smile with delight and praise babies as they say 'bubble' for the first time. Children benefit from receiving positive praise in recognition of their achievements. This helps to boost their self-esteem and develop positive attitudes to learning. Additionally, toddlers enjoy a song box activity. They join in with the actions and words as they sing their favourite nursery rhymes. Pre-school children recite and recognise tricky dinosaur names as they explore a non-fiction book. Children extend their growing vocabulary and develop a love for reading.

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

• Leaders have developed a curriculum that focuses on the skills that they intend for children to learn. Overall, staff implement the curriculum well. However, some staff in the toddler room are not always consistent in implementing what leaders intend for children to learn. This means that staff do not always build on what children know and can do. As a result, children's individual learning needs are not always fully supported.
• Parent partnerships are a strength of this nursery. Parents feel well supported. They receive regular updates on their child's development and ideas to support learning at home. Staff recognise the importance of working with parents as their child transitions into the next room of the nursery. They prioritise meeting with parents to discuss strategies to help children with a new transition. This all supports children to confidently transition through the nursery.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have good support systems in place. Leaders and staff work together to identify the children who require additional support and early intervention. In addition, they work closely with external professionals to implement targets and tailored interventions to support children's next steps in learning. As a result, children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff provide children with opportunities to build respectful relationships with each other. Children demonstrate a 'can-do' attitude to learning as they practise the skill of squeezing. For example, children help each other in the water tray to fill the containers and squeeze the water out of the bottle and into the air. They recognise by working together they can achieve an end goal. This helps to boost children's self-confidence in their learning.
• Leaders are passionate about helping staff to further develop their knowledge and skills. Staff receive a robust induction and attend training to support their ongoing professional development. For example, staff have recently attended training on supporting children's communication and language. As a result, leaders and staff have placed a focus on developing children's vocabulary in the curriculum. Children are making good progress in their language development.
• Staff teach children about the importance of healthy choices and good hygiene practice. Before mealtimes, children are encouraged to wash their hands. Staff discuss with children the importance of washing hands and keeping germs away. In addition, during snack time, children have the choice of which fruit or vegetable they would like to eat. Children begin to understand the importance of healthy lifestyles.
• Children's communication and language development are supported well. Staff in the baby room sequence children's language skills by building on what children know and can do. They encourage children to match words to objects. For example, as staff blow bubbles, they say 'bubble'. Babies smile and repeat this. Staff then carefully build two words into children's vocabulary by saying 'big bubble' or 'small bubble'. They continuously repeat this and encourage children to join in. This helps to broaden children's vocabulary.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to implement the curriculum effectively and consistently at all times to continuously build on what children know and can do.