Aberdeen Park Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting excited and ready to learn. They spend a lot of time outdoors in the nursery garden where they confidently explore the nursery environment and demonstrate that they are active in their learning. They are curious and move freely between activities, selecting things that interest them and joining activities with their peers and staff. They are highly engaged in what they are doing and are supported to guide their own play and learning. For example, in an activity in the garden, children act as vets. They introduce themselves as a doctor, followed by their name. They make medicine for poorly animals. A child acts as the receptionist, typing on the laptop she created out of cardboard with a staff member earlier in the day. Staff support children by asking them questions and modelling language associated with the activity. Children excitedly hurry off to pretend to X-ray an animal that has hurt its leg and organise the animals in the cages based on the type of animal they are. For example, all the 'big cats' are together. Staff skilfully support children's ideas and use a variety of teaching methods, for example modelling language, introducing new words and questioning.

Children are supported to be very confident and resilient. They are encouraged to have a 'can-do' attitude and to be active in their own learning. Children are supported to take risks and problem-solve. For example, children spend time making potions in an activity aimed at developing their hand-to-eye coordination and fine-motor skills. Staff ask children questions to encourage them to talk about what they are doing and use mathematical language. For example, they ask how much water can be poured into the cup before it overflows.

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

• Staff demonstrate that they are highly skilled and passionate about their role. They use a variety of teaching methods to support children to be highly engaged in activities, learn and make rapid progress. They plan and implement extremely interesting, fun and stimulating activities for children to enjoy taking part in. Children demonstrate a wealth of learning, for example, by reciting familiar songs, stories and activities.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff work with parents in harmony to best support the children to make excellent progress and achieve their full potential. Communication between the setting and parents is highly effective. Parents feel well informed about their child's time in the setting and how to support their learning and development at home. Parents are extremely complimentary of the nursery. For example, one parent says: 'The nursery takes an impressively creative approach to early years education.'
• Parents praise the passionate and dedicated staff team and value the bonds their children have with the staff. The staff's intent to create a home-from-home environment is achieved as parents comment on the homely feel the setting has, which supports children to feel very settled, safe and content.
• The leadership team is well established and extremely supportive of the staff team. It strives to continually improve practice and support all children. Staff attend regular training to enhance their skills and knowledge of their role and how best to educate young children, and this is reflected in the practice.
• Clear intent and implementation of a high-quality, well-planned and carefully thought-out curriculum has a great impact on the children and their learning and development. Children are curious, inquisitive and highly motivated learners.
• Staff's interactions with children are exceptional. They respond sensitively to the children and communicate with them in a variety of ways. Children's speech and language development is prioritised in the nursery and staff are highly skilled and effective at supporting children to acquire language. They use a variety of communication methods to support all children to make superb progress in their speech and language development.
• Children are supported to be independent and persevere in tasks. The youngest children are supported to learn to feed themselves with cutlery. Staff are responsive to children's needs and intervene when needed, for example when a baby makes a noise because she cannot reach her water bottle. Older children are independent in setting the table for lunch with plates and cutlery. They serve their own lunches, use cutlery to eat and scrape their plates when they are finished. Children are sensitively supported to follow excellent table manners.