ABC Children's Day Nursery @ Hoo

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children who attend this nursery are competent learners. The curriculum is expertly designed. It progressively builds on what children know and need to learn next. Children are keen to access the learning opportunities on offer and display high levels of engagement in their chosen activities. Pre-school children collect sea creatures in pots of water. They tell staff about the 'sharks' they have collected. Staff skilfully extend children's knowledge during their interactions and label the hammerhead shark that is shown to them. Children repeat this new knowledge and are excited by their discoveries.

Children have an abundance of opportunities to develop their own ideas and imagination. Babies crawl around and are interested in the items they have access to. They take handfuls of flour and sprinkle it on to the floor. Staff use their fingers to make marks in the flour and babies copy. They express curiosity as they repeat this action, making a variety of different marks and shapes in the flour.

Children particularly flourish in the outdoors. Based next to a farm, they collect conkers, make potions with water and leaves, and learn about the features of trees as they use paint to print bark patterns on paper. Children learn to navigate the space competently and show an awareness of managing risk as they climb over wooden obstacles and use glass jars to collect items of interest.

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

• Leaders have a genuine passion for providing highly stimulating learning opportunities for children. Staff fully understand the curriculum and implement this exceptionally well into the educational programmes they offer, throughout the nursery. They know each child's current level of development and review this regularly. They use assessment effectively to plan appropriate activities that extend children's learning.
• Children are extremely self-motivated. They are inquisitive and excited about learning. They show high levels of engagement in their play and make rapid progress in their development. Staff are proficient in extending children's knowledge further. They ask children questions that develop their critical thinking skills and allow them to explore their own ideas.
• Children are independent. Babies learn to feed themselves at mealtimes and are encouraged to help with tidying toys away. As children progress through the nursery, they become efficient in using cutlery without support, serving their own food and putting on and taking off their own clothes and shoes. This means that children become confident and capable, ready for their next stage of learning.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) progress well.
• Staff accurately identify gaps in children's learning and act swiftly to support them. They work closely with parents to devise support plans and liaise with external professionals for advice and guidance. The knowledgeable and qualified staff implement strategies from specific programmes while they await external support. This ensures that children with SEND receive the necessary support in a timely manner.
• Parents and carers express genuine happiness about the care their children receive at the nursery. They know the staff well and appreciate the communication they receive about their children's experiences while at nursery. They comment on the progress their children have made and describe their children as 'coming on leaps and bounds' since attending and being happy when they arrive. They know their children's level of development and what activities their children have been taking part in, and they value their involvement, as parents, in their children's learning.
• Children behave well. Even young children use good manners without prompting and show respect for their peers and adults. Children are taught to help each other from an early age and share toys. They learn to manage their emotions and deal with challenge. As a result, when they encounter disagreements, they are able to resolve these quickly and calmly.
• Leaders ensure that staff receive training that develops their own knowledge and skills. They deliver in-house training, which is interactive and helps staff to practise how they can apply their new learning. This ensures that children experience high-quality learning opportunities that continually improve.