Adventure Learning

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily leave their parents and carers on arrival. They confidently enter the nursery and settle quickly. The effective settling-in processes help new children to gain confidence and to feel safe and secure. As a result, children form positive and strong relationships with staff. Children greet staff with enthusiasm and enjoy spending time with them. Staff know the individual children well. They value children's individual backgrounds and include these during their time at the nursery. For example, staff invite families into the nursery to share special events, such as festivals and religious celebrations. Children generally behave well. They are beginning to learn about the behaviour expectations, including those that keep themselves and others safe.

Children benefit from interesting activities and resources. These capture their interest and engagement in their learning. Staff understand the learning intentions. Overall, they provide interactions and support to children to implement these consistently. Staff identify gaps in children's learning and development and promptly take steps to help close these. This includes implementing individual educational plans to support children to catch up. Children who are learning English as an additional language receive good support. Staff gain key words in children's home languages to use with them. They use signing alongside words to develop children's understanding and support their communication. This promotes children's learning effectively, including children who need extra help in developing their language skills.

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

• Staff have a good understanding of the skills and knowledge they want children to learn over time. They gain information from parents to support their understanding of what children know and can do when they first start. Key persons know how to support their individual key children's development. For example, they use consistent strategies to promote younger children's developing communication and language skills.
• Overall, staff's interactions with children are consistently good. At times, some interactions and support do not build on the learning intentions as effectively as possible. For example, children's social and physical skills are not fully encouraged when they try helping themselves to food at the same time. Staff do not encourage them to take turns using the spoon provided to help promote their learning more effectively.
• Staff encourage children to recall their previous learning and experiences. They build on this effectively, including through asking effective questions. For example, older children estimate their different heights using concepts such as 'more' and 'less' when asked. They compare their heights and how different numbers put together make a new number. This encourages children to develop a range of skills, such as working with others to help them become ready for school.
• Children develop positive friendships with each other. Children enjoy spending time with staff and engage them in their play and discussions. Staff encourage children to understand their emotions and feelings. This helps children learn to recognise how they are feeling and gain understanding of how to manage their emotions appropriately.
• Children gain an understanding of most behaviour expectations. Staff provide appropriate guidance, such as reminding children to use their 'walking feet'. Some staff are not always fully consistent in how they promote children's awareness of keeping themselves and others safe. For instance, not all staff consistently teach or guide children about using equipment or handling resources safely. Staff promote children's self-esteem and confidence effectively, including through warm praise and encouragement.
• The manager is clear about her roles and responsibilities to the children and staff. She demonstrates that she reflects and monitors the quality of the provision securely and confidently identifies areas for development. Overall, staff receive good support to help them to build on their skills and knowledge, such as through staff meetings and training. Staff report that they feel well supported in both their well-being and professional development.
• There are effective partnerships with parents and carers. Parents and staff communicate and work together closely. This promotes a consistent approach to supporting children's individual needs, both at home and at the nursery. Parents state they are very happy with the service provided and can see the progress their children make there.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to build on staff's knowledge and understanding of how to consistently implement the curriculum learning intentions to help extend children's skills and knowledge even further
• extend children's awareness of how to keep themselves and others safe, such as through offering effective explanations or providing more guidance when appropriate.