Active Angels Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive excellent care and education at this warm, welcoming and totally child-centred setting. They are incredibly happy and content, which shows they feel safe and secure. Children confidently explore the provision. They access an extensive range of exciting, stimulating activities which are diligently planned by staff. Children become highly engaged and concentrate on tasks. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff support them with quality interactions that extend children's learning. Children's behaviour is impeccable. They follow the rules of the setting, share, take turns and interact respectfully with staff and their friends.

Leaders and staff work together to plan a flexible curriculum that incorporates all children's needs. Staff form close, nurturing and supportive relationships with children and their families. This enables staff to build on children's learning and experiences at home. For example, following a baby's visit to a farm, staff plan activities that captivate babies' interests. Babies delight in playing with farm animals in mud, straw and sand. They listen intently and echo songs sung by staff who play alongside them. Later in the day, babies repeat the morning's learning independently. They sing 'E-I-E-I-O' tunefully as they play.

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

• Communication and language are key focus areas for leaders and staff. They carefully choose focus books and songs to extend children's vocabulary and language skills. The setting is alive with staff and children singing songs and rhymes in all rooms. Staff encourage children to develop a love of books. They create cosy book corners, where children relax and choose to look at familiar books on their own and with friends. Furthermore, staff share stories in a range of exciting ways. They encourage children to recall and act out a bear hunt story outdoors. Children join in with enthusiasm as they take barefoot walks through sensory trays. They say 'splish, splash, squelch' and describe the textures they feel between their toes. Children work with determination to figure out the best way to clean their feet afterwards. Staff seize every opportunity to teach children concepts, descriptive words, and early mathematical language that will support future learning.
• Leaders and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) exceptionally well. They complete regular assessments that promptly identify potential delays in children's development. Leaders engage specialists who provide advice and guidance. Staff collaborate with parents and other professionals. They work together to create support plans to help bridge any gaps in children's learning. Leaders make timely referrals to ensure children receive the support they need. Furthermore, leaders source additional funding for specific children's needs. Staff use this to purchase carefully selected resources that extend and enhance children's learning experiences.
• Staff plan opportunities for children to build on their physical skills. They recognise the importance of babies spending time playing on their tummies, and plan activities to encourage this. They provide time, space and opportunity for babies to crawl, cruise and toddle around. Babies confidently negotiate ramps and explore resources that captivate and offer challenge. This all helps to build on children's core strength. Staff provide toddlers and pre-school children with further challenge both in and outdoors. Children have daily opportunities to run around in wide open spaces and practise their climbing and balancing skills. This helps to promote children's physical and mental health and well-being.
• Parent partnerships are extremely strong. Parents and carers talk very positively about leaders and staff. They appreciate the 'home-away-from home' environment that they create. Parents and carers state that they think the setting is exemplary. They describe leaders and staff as dedicated, nurturing and exceptional. Leaders invite parents and carers into the setting to join them in educational talks and workshops from visiting specialists. They share resources and ideas to support home learning. Parents and carers talk about how their children blossom at the setting. They say that staff make children feel safe and loved. They state that their children meet and exceed their milestones and are fully prepared for school.
• Leaders are passionate about providing the best possible care and education for children. They carefully recruit staff who share the same values. Leaders have high expectations. They monitor the provision closely to ensure policies and procedures are known and followed by all staff. Leaders seek the views of staff, children and parents when reflecting on the service they offer. They listen and adapt the provision accordingly, sharing targets that the whole team works towards.
• Staff well-being is of the utmost priority for leaders. All staff talk about feeling supported and valued. Leaders encourage staff to extend their knowledge. Staff evaluate and develop their practice by observing each other. They complete copious amounts of focused, additional training which successfully enhances their skills and understanding of how children learn and develop. This all helps to provide continuity of care and ensure outcomes for children are at the highest level.