Abracadabra Preschool Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily arrive at nursery, confident to independently explore activities indoors and outdoors. New children to the setting are sensitively supported in making a smooth transition from home to nursery. For example, staff encourage new children to choose stories and move freely from one activity to the next so that they can explore aspects of the curriculum that initially spark their interest. Children develop language skills as staff model and introduce new vocabulary while children manipulate and mould play dough.

Children benefit from the free access to both the indoor and outdoor spaces and use their imagination as they play in the mud kitchen and home corner. Children are encouraged to become independent in choosing their own fruit and beverages to serve themselves at mealtimes. Children build secure relationships with staff and confidently ask for help when engaging with the curriculum, such as with self-care or discovering how to press buttons to open lids on hinged toys. Children make good progress in the curriculum.

Children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, benefit from new experiences such as trips to the farm and to the library so they can access books to take home. Leaders use additional funding from the government to supplement visits to allow all children to participate.

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

• Staff provide activities to encourage the development of children's physical skills and to build self-confidence. For example, children walk along an assault course, initially holding onto a staff member's hand. Staff members praise the children and when they gain better balance, they gently release their hand, allowing children to complete the course independently. Children also continue to develop physical skills as they are supported to pour drinks from a jug into a cup when they want a drink. This encourages the development of gross-motor skills and self-esteem, both of which foster personal and physical development.
• Children are provided with opportunities to make choices. Staff offer them a variety of fruit and beverages at mealtimes. Staff name the fruit and drinks and encourage younger children to use words to describe what they would like, which in turn promotes communication and language development. Children are encouraged to pour their own drinks so they can decide for themselves how much water or milk they want to drink, which means children develop personal skills as they learn to make decisions.
• Staff are attentive and empathetically promote positive behaviours and attitudes. For example, during snack time, children try to peel a satsuma but have difficulty removing the first piece. A staff member offers to help. Children continue to peel the satsuma, being careful and diligent when they encounter difficulty. This encourages children to persevere when faced with challenges.
• Leaders support staff effectively through ongoing supervision sessions, observations and team meetings. Areas for professional development are discussed and agreed upon. Staff recently attended training on how to utilise small outdoor spaces to maximise learning opportunities. As a result, a mud kitchen was installed which staff use to engage children's interest, explore texture and introduce new language that supports communication development. This results in staff being supported and becoming more confident to foster children's learning and development effectively.
• The special educational needs coordinator works with the local authority adviser to help them in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She implements and role models strategies for staff to maintain consistent progress for children with SEND.
• Leaders plan an effective curriculum and have high expectations for the children. However, while supporting children's play, staff are sometimes unaware of how to support children's next steps. At these times, children's learning and development needs are not always being met.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that staff have high expectations for all children so that they can make good progress in their learning and development.