ABC Nursery School Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted with a friendly hello from the manager and staff when they arrive at the nursery. They show that they feel safe and are keen to join their peers in the activities offered. Younger children develop their speaking skills when they copy words staff say. They hear the correct pronunciation of words when staff repeat words that children say incorrectly. Older children talk confidently about their experiences, such as about their journey to a local leisure centre. They tell the manager and visitors that they jumped in big puddles. Children show a positive attitude to taking part in new experiences. They develop the muscles in their hands when they manipulate margarine and seeds in a bag to make bird feeders. Younger children are supported to learn about how to use technology. For example, they are shown how to press buttons on tablets to take photos. Older children learn about similarities and differences. They listen to stories about other cultures around the world, for example that some children carry food in baskets on their heads. Children laugh when they try to balance a pear on their heads.

Children show an understanding of the rules and boundaries, such as when they go on walks in the community. They say that they do not play with sticks that are longer than their arms and they do not wave sticks around because it might go in someone's eyes.

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

• Staff help to promote children's good health. For example, they offer children a healthy range of snacks, meals and drinks. Children have their own toothbrushes and clean their teeth after their lunch.
• Staff support children to progress in their learning. They plan opportunities for children to visit and learn about places of interest in their local community. For instance, children go on outings with staff to visit the park, to help develop their physical skills, and to woodlands where they experience nature.
• Staff encourage children to be physically active. Younger children join in action rhymes and move scarves to the sound of music. Older children go on walks in the community, helping to develop their stamina.
• The manager works alongside her small staff team. She supports them through, for example, one-to-one meetings. Staff have opportunities to discuss their key children and how they intend to support children's progress. Staff say that they feel supported in their well-being.
• Additional funding for children is used to help close gaps in their learning. For example, the special educational needs coordinator completes training courses to help develop her knowledge of how to support children's communication and language skills. She offers children small-group activities to focus on their speaking skills. This includes encouraging children to build a pretend house and to talk to others about what they are doing.
• Staff use good manners themselves and give children gentle reminders to be polite, such as when they ask for pens from other children and staff. Staff encourage children to share, such as when they play with their favourite toys.
• Staff support children to develop their understanding of language to describe size. For example, when children play with toy cars and a garage, staff use words such as big and small. This leads to children saying that their truck is too big when it does not fit down a ramp. However, occasionally, staff do not encourage children to build further on their learning. For example, when children are excited to touch a pretend budgie and tell staff that it is eating, staff do not help them to further their knowledge of birds.
• Staff provide children with opportunities that they would not always receive at home, such as developing a love of books. They take children to a library to look at books. Staff use excitement in their voice when they read stories. This encourages children to learn skills for the future, such as sitting and listening.
• Staff share photos of activities children enjoy with parents and talk to them daily about their child's day. However, they do not offer all parents ideas and suggestions about how they can continue to support their children's learning at home. This will promote a more united approach to helping children to progress in their development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to strengthen their interactions with children to help build further on their learning
• support staff to offer parents ideas and suggestions about how they can continue to promote their children's learning at home.