ABC Private Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff and leaders create a warm and welcoming atmosphere at this home-from-home nursery. Children and parents are greeted with smiles and friendly conversation at the door in the morning. Children peg their photo onto a washing line to show that they are present. They wave goodbye to their parents and confidently make their way into the nursery, keen to start their day. This shows that children are relaxed and happy in the nursery.

Children behave very well. There are clear expectations in place, which all children are aware of. When a bell rings outside, children immediately stop what they are doing and make their way inside for lunch. They kindly explain to the inspector that they need to 'come on in now' from the garden. This demonstrates that children are confident in their routines and that they learn to care about other people.

Babies have positive and stimulating relationships with staff. They enjoy spending time outside on a cosy rug, listening to staff's voices and receiving lots of cuddles and affection. Staff support babies to roll over and lift their heads in response to a cloth book or a toy. Older children are challenged to make their way around a set of raised coloured blocks. They concentrate hard as they keep their balance and step from one to the other. These activities support children to develop their physical skills well.

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

• There is a thoughtfully designed curriculum in place, which is ambitious for all children. Staff collect a range of information about children when they first start at the nursery. They then plan a range of interesting activities and opportunities which support children to make their next steps in learning. Children's progress is carefully tracked and leaders are pro-active in seeking support and advice from other agencies, such as speech and language therapists or health visitors. This helps all children to make good progress.
• Children are supported to access a range of literacy resources that encourage them to develop their fine motor skills. For example, children use clipboards and pencils to record what they can see in the outdoor area and carefully line up toy dinosaurs in a row in the sand tray. However, staff have not fully considered children's independent access to books and how to further encourage this in areas other than the book corner. This limits children's access to books when they are exploring other areas.
• Communication and language has a particular focus at the nursery. Staff have undertaken a range of additional training in order to enhance their skills and knowledge in this area. Staff speak slowly and clearly to children, giving them plenty of time to think and to reply. Key vocabulary is identified each week and staff take every opportunity to use these new and interesting words when working with the children. This supports children to become good communicators.
• Children are encouraged to become independent in managing their own needs. They hang up their own coats and self-register when they arrive. All children are supported to identify their own water bottle from the attached photograph when they want a drink. At lunchtime, children clear away their own plates and cutlery, carefully scraping off any leftover food. These strong independence skills prepare children well for their next steps, such as starting school.
• Children have lots of opportunities to learn about, and contribute to, their local community. They work in partnership with several community organisations and enjoy taking part in local events, such as a scarecrow competition and gardening initiatives. Children help to keep local spaces clean and tidy by taking part in litter picking sessions. These activities prepare children for their future life as active citizens who contribute positively to their community.
• Parents are full of praise for the care their children receive at the nursery. They describe the staff and leaders as 'amazing' and comment that their children particularly enjoy the 'delicious' home-cooked food. Parents report that they are well informed about the care and learning that their children receive. They also appreciate the useful ideas about how to support their children's learning and development at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of books to encourage children's independent use and enjoyment of books, to further promote their early literacy skills.