Acorns Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they are happy at this warm and welcoming nursery. They confidently leave their parents at the door and quickly settle into the nursery routine. Children show a positive attitude to their learning. They are motivated and eager to join in. The well-organised environment promotes children's natural curiosity and eagerness to learn. Children benefit from a good range of experiences that prepare them well for their future success. For example, they develop their confidence and social skills and learn to manage their behaviour, while interacting with others. Children develop good communication skills and confidently articulate what they know and can do. They play imaginatively, pretending to be pirates, and practise digging and scooping as they play in the sandpit.

Children enjoy the time they spend outdoors. They are fascinated by the world around them and notice familiar things within their environment. For instance, they watch birds feeding and are curious about the webs created by spiders. Children enjoy using apparatus and show good physical skills as they negotiate a 'wobbly bridge' and 'fireman's pole'.

Children's behaviour is good. They learn about the nursery rules and boundaries and what is expected of them. Children are kind and friendly towards each other. Staff regularly praise them for sharing and being kind to others.

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

• Staff get to know children well from the start. They gather information from parents to help tailor settling-in sessions to support children's individual needs and interests. Staff plan activities which allow children to take the lead in their own learning. As a result, children are eager to engage in activities.
• Overall, children benefit from an interesting and well-balanced curriculum. The manager confidently articulates what she wants children to learn during their time at the nursery. However, she does not always ensure that staff are fully aware of how some experiences, including mealtimes, contribute towards children's learning.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff take time to get to know children and their parents and build strong and trusting relationships. They consider children's interests and prior learning when planning activities. Parents comment how happy their children are attending the setting. They state that staff communicate well with them. Parents particularly like the parent communication board, which provides them with information on the activities and suggestions to support children's learning at home.
• Staff place a good focus on teaching children the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Children regularly play outdoors, follow thorough hygiene practices and participate in regular physical activities. They confidently recognise the impact that exercise has on their body. For example, they comment that their hearts beat faster and they become hot after exercise.
• The manager and her staff work well together as an enthusiastic and dedicated team. They are committed to providing an inclusive environment where all children and their families are welcomed. They work effectively with other professionals to support children's learning. This means that all children receive the help they need to enable them to make good progress.
• Leaders place high priority on staff well-being. Staff are happy and feel well supported in their roles. They have regular staff meetings and opportunities to share their views and opinions.
• Overall, children are well prepared for their next stage of learning. Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and they support their learning well. They make good use of small-group activities to prompt discussions about the importance of oral health. For example, children practise cleaning teeth, explore x-rays of teeth and understand the importance of regular visits to the dentist. Children confidently tell staff that a dentist checks their teeth to make sure they are healthy. However, staff do not always use effective questioning to extend children's knowledge even further. For example, they do not question children's understanding of foods that are good for their teeth and those that are not.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the staff's knowledge of the curriculum intent so they are clear what skills and knowledge they want children to gain from all experiences
• strengthen the use of questioning to help identify what children already know, and provide clear explanations to extend their knowledge even further.