ACE Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff warmly greet children and parents as they arrive at nursery. They quickly engage in conversation and offer support as children hang up their belongings and self-register. This helps children to feel settled and calm as they start the day. Staff spend dedicated time with children when they first start, sensitively providing reassurance and offering experiences that engage them. This means children feel secure as they receive care and attention which is tailored to their individual needs. Children in the baby room delight in staff getting down at their level and joining in with their games. Effective interactions help children to further develop their skills and gain the most from their play.

Staff are good role models and consistently embed expectations for children's behaviour. Children learn to be kind and treat each other with respect. They willingly offer help to one another. For example, at mealtimes, children pass around water jugs and lend a hand if they see that a friend needs help to cut up their food. When children are eating, staff skilfully promote their social and communication skills. On a very hot day, children recognise when they are thirsty and need a drink. Staff extend children's vocabulary by introducing the word 'hydrate'. Children demonstrate their understanding by using the new word in their conversations.

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

• The manager provides strong leadership to a team of skilled and very committed practitioners. Together, they strive to provide high-quality care and education for all children. Professional development for staff is valued and encouraged. This enables staff to continue to develop their knowledge and skills and implement a curriculum that ensures all children reach their full potential.
• The manager is effective in reviewing the provision to ensure that all children make progress. She accurately identifies when children have gaps in their learning and require additional support. Staff have worked in partnership with parents to implement an early communication programme. This is having a positive impact in supporting children's early speaking and listening skills.
• Staff talk to parents and carefully observe children to gain a secure understanding of their individual needs and interests. This helps them to provide a rich variety of experiences that draw children in and motivate them to learn. For example, when playing outside, staff quickly respond to children's ideas. They extend ball games by introducing new equipment. This helps to sustain children's interest and encourages them to practise new skills.
• Staff consistently implement effective strategies to help children to understand the importance of making healthy choices. Children frequently choose to play outside, where they are encouraged to engage in a wide range of physical activities, such as climbing, balancing and using the trampoline. Staff support children to brush their teeth. Children benefit from healthy and nutritious snacks and meals throughout the day. This helps children to thrive and develop positive attitudes to physical exercise and being healthy.
• Staff encourage all children to make their own choices and develop their independence skills. Staff carefully position toys and resources in the baby and toddler rooms to attract children's attention and enable them to select activities they would like to explore and engage with. Staff extend this in the pre-school by adding picture and word labels to support older children in matching equipment to the corresponding label. This helps children to develop their early reading skills.
• The key-person system is well established in each room and staff know children very well. This enables staff to offer and adapt activities that meet children's needs and help them to learn and make progress. However, the key person does not consistently undertake personal care routines with their key children. This means that the organisation of nappy changing routines does not fully support continuity of care for each child.
• Parents comment that they are fully involved in their child's learning. They feel valued as staff plan activities to learn about children's home backgrounds, including special celebrations such Ramadan and the Chinese Moon Festival.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the role of the key person to further support the individual care needs of younger children.