Acre Wood Day Nursery (Arlesey) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are confident individuals and eager to start exploring the activities staff have planned for them. Staff are very responsive to children's emotional needs. For example, babies crawl to staff for cuddles and reassurance. Older children eagerly invite staff into their play. These warm and nurturing interactions from staff help support children in feeling safe and secure. Staff have the same high expectations and ambitions for all children. They have adopted a curriculum that is based on children's individual interests and what they already know and can do. The carefully considered environment enables children to be independent learners as they make choices about their play. Older children enjoy voting for the book that they would like to learn about later in the day. This gives the children a sense of ownership over their vote and helps them understand that everyone has their own opinion.

Staff model positive behaviours. They encourage children to take turns and play cooperatively. Children are beginning to understand their feelings and learning to manage their emotions. Staff regularly read stories to the children about the colour monsters. Children understand that the yellow monster is for happiness. Staff praise children's efforts and children readily celebrate their achievements. This helps build their confidence and reinforces their positive attitudes to learning.

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

• Since the last inspection, the management team and staff have worked hard to put in place any necessary changes. Together with staff, the management team have made changes to the environment, teaching and daily routines. Staff speak positively about recent training that has helped them to develop their interactions with children. Staff say that they feel highly supported by the management team. They express how hard everyone has worked since the last inspection and how they have grown as a team.
• Staff regularly discuss children's development with the management team. They identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities promptly and work with other agencies to decide how to support the children. Additional funding is used to provide resources that meet children's learning needs. For example, the management team have converted a room into a calming, multisensory room to support children who can become overwhelmed at times.
• The management team and staff have developed a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. The staff team has a good understanding of what they want children to learn. They follow children's interests and plan exciting activities that children are eager to be involved in. Occasionally, some staff do not promote the planned learning intention to fully engage all children.
• Staff provide good support for children's communication and language development. They get down to children's level and narrate as they play.
• Children enjoy listening to stories. Younger children fill in gaps in familiar books and join in with repeated phrases. Older children recall what has happened and predict what is going to happen next. Staff help older children think about the differences between the author and the illustrator.
• Younger children are beginning to understand about the world and mimic familiar experiences. They wrap the dolls in blankets and gently rock them to sleep. Older children learn about the natural world. They grow their own vegetables in the garden and harvest them when ready to eat.
• Staff support children of all ages to develop their independence with self-help skills. Babies learn to feed themselves with a spoon. Younger children progress to a fork and self-serve their drinks. Older children continue to develop these skills and keenly serve themselves during mealtime.
• Staff promote children's good health and encourage them to be physically active. All children enjoy lots of outdoor play in the fresh air. Staff help babies and young children to carefully balance and walk across planks. Older children practice their large arm movements as they draw on clipboards on the wall.
• Parents describe the staff as 'amazing' and that the nursery is a very special place. They really appreciate coming into the children's learning environment to drop off and collect their children. Staff keep parents informed about children's achievements, and parents talk about children's experiences at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to promote specific learning intentions more effectively during planned activities to engage all children fully.