Alice Park Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they are happy and feel secure at the setting. Staff are friendly and chat to children on arrival to help them settle quickly. Staff use phrases such as 'Come on friends, let's do this' to motivate children to engage in activities and form good bonds with others. Children demonstrate that they are kind. They cooperate well and share toys. The owner and staff build positive relationships that make children, parents and carers feel part of a community.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, children learn in rooms according to their age and ability. They know the environment well and move confidently around the setting. Children show good coordination skills as they negotiate stairs and steps. They access resources independently and show curiosity in the activities on offer. Staff help children to recall previous experiences to extend their learning. For example, they provide toddlers with farm toys and images to enable them to re-enact a recent trip to the farm. Staff know what they want children to learn and plan activities effectively using children's interests to engage them, for example supporting pre-school children to create postcards for loved ones. The provider uses additional funding effectively to help meet children's individual needs. Staff support children's learning and development well. For instance, they help children to peel stickers and count out shapes to create pictures about their family. Children make good progress, including those who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

• The owner has a clear vision for the setting and works with staff to reflect on the quality of provision in order to identify areas for improvement. She considers the well-being of staff and avoids unnecessary burdens on the team. The owner provides staff with interesting professional development opportunities so that children have access to additional experiences, such as forest activities.
• Parents appreciate the support that staff give their children to progress with their learning. Parents receive daily feedback and work with staff to provide consistency for their children. For example, staff share photograph books from trips for parents to share with their children at home.
• Children develop good listening and communication skills. Staff respond well to children's needs and views. Staff introduce children to new words to extend their vocabulary, such as 'humid' and 'reflecting' to describe effects of the weather. Staff ask children effective questions to challenge their thinking, and give children time to think and respond. Children display confidence to talk within small groups and are happy to share their ideas. For example, they share how to brush their teeth when learning about oral health.
• Staff know the children well and have considered the impact of recent pandemic restrictions on children's social skills. Children benefit from regular outings to the park where they meet new people and develop confidence in social situations. Staff always supervise the children well. However, they recognise that they can better support children to understand risks involved when meeting new people. Children learn to manage their own risk well in the garden, for example when they climb and jump on play equipment. Children develop good physical skills and enjoy daily exercise, including running and ball games.
• Babies enjoy regular songs, for example when they wash their faces after snack time. Children of all ages develop a love of books. Toddlers and pre-school children concentrate well as staff read them stories. Children have lots of fun exploring resources and developing their imagination, giggling as they play with toy dinosaurs in slime. Staff celebrate children's achievements to boost levels of self-esteem. However, staff do not consistently encourage all children to try out new experiences to extend their learning even further.
• Staff are good role models for children and use positive behaviour management strategies. Children are kind and considerate to one another and gain good self-care skills in readiness for their next stage in education. Younger children sort and give out drink bottles to one another unprompted, and older children pour gravy from large jugs onto their meal at lunchtime. Staff monitor children's progress and work with other professionals as required to help close any gaps in children's learning and ease their move to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure staff consistently help all children to broaden their interests and engage in new experiences to extend their learning further
• enhance opportunities for children to gain a better understanding of the risks involved when meeting new people.