Acorns Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The dedicated, friendly staff team successfully creates a nurturing space where children's individuality is fostered to a high level. Children enjoy coming to nursery and benefit greatly from the individual attention they receive. Staff ignite children's curiosity and provide a range of motivating activities that engage children's initial interest well. Children show great determination in everything they do and strive to do their very best.

Staff have clear expectations for children's behaviour. They act as good role models and support children to share, use good manners and follow the daily routine. Children have established strong relationships with each other. They take personal responsibility for looking after their friends. For example, when a child noticed that a staff member missed snack time, they thoughtfully created a snack bowl to make sure they were not left out. This gesture of kindness reflects the way staff teach children to behave towards each other in the nursery.

The curriculum places a strong focus on literacy. Staff promote children's love for stories through animated story times. Children become enthralled as the story unfolds. They join in readily, chanting familiar phrases from their favourite stories, which are followed quickly by requests to hear the story again. Older children confidently write their names on their artwork with great success. All children, including those who are learning English as an additional language, are well supported to become confident communicators.

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

• The curriculum is well planned and responsive to children's emerging needs. Staff engage positively with children as they join in their play and make useful observations of children's learning journey. However, staff's assessment of what children need to learn next does not necessarily reflect the most important aspect of children's learning that needs support. Additionally, staff's interactions are not focused precisely enough on challenging all children in their learning. Despite this, children make good progress overall and are well prepared for the next stage in their education, including school.
• The programme for children's personal development is exceptionally strong. Staff place high priority on supporting children's good health. Children help to cultivate fruits and vegetables in their garden. They learn about healthy foods, with positive encouragement from staff at mealtimes to try new fruit and vegetable options. Staff help children to develop their confidence in self-care skills. Children show increasing levels of confidence as they change into outdoor shoes and find sun hats for their friends before going outside to play.
• Children are inquisitive learners who develop high levels of self-esteem. They show an eagerness to join in and have a go, although sometimes give up when the activity lacks challenge. Staff create a well-established and predictable routine that supports children's sense of familiarity. There is a strong focus on promoting children's emotional well-being, which is a strength of the nursery. For example, training in emotional regulation has led to the creation of further cosy areas where children can talk through any worries they have with staff. Children receive sensitive support from their key person and learn to regulate their feelings well.
• The provider is an effective leader, who holds high aspirations for her team. She holds an accurate evaluation of the provision and reflects insightfully on areas for improvement. The provider promotes a strong sense of teamwork that firmly centres around the belief that every child deserves the very best start in their education. Staff access training regularly and use this to good effect, as evidenced in their renewed focus on promoting children's resilience.
• Staff foster effective partnerships with parents and carers. There is a good exchange of information to ensure that the children gain access to any additional support they need at an early stage in their development. Parents and carers are invited to participate in special events, such as a fathers' stay-and-play session. They receive daily information through a good verbal handover and have opportunities to attend regular parents' evenings.
• The provider ensures good oversight of the progress children make, including those who may need some additional support. Staff work closely with external agencies to overcome any barriers to learning that children may face and to ensure children's safety. The provider ensures that all children have access to their full funding entitlement. Additional funding is used to good effect through the provision of a lending library with resources to further promote learning at home. The provider engages with community initiatives that benefit the families who attend, including those who promote positive mental health.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus staff's professional development on helping them identify and plan for the most important aspect of a child's learning
• expand staff's confidence in implementing the curriculum for children, so they make clearer connections between the intent of activities and the level of challenge for children.