Alphabet City Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from warm and nurturing relationships with their key persons, which leads to them being confident and happy in their environment. Children's emotions are valued, and staff encourage children to talk about how they are feeling. For example, in the pre-school room, staff use 'The Colour Monster' story to support children's emotional literacy. On arrival, children share how they are feeling by selecting the corresponding colour monster, such as yellow for 'happy'. The use of yoga also helps to promote children's well-being and physical development.

Children delight in talking about their families and looking at photos of them on display. The members of the management team pride themselves on working in partnership with parents and refer to themselves as 'The Alphabet Family'. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have creatively kept children learning and families engaged by sharing activity packs and sending videos home. Children's behaviour is good. Older children enjoy taking on additional responsibilities, such as helping with snack time. Children wear a sticker to show that they are a helper and they talk with pride about their role.

Staff have high expectations for each child. Children are skilled communicators and make good progress in their language development. This is owed to the staff having a strong focus on developing children's communication skills. The use of language boxes and 'Helicopter Stories' captures children's attention. Children demonstrate high levels of engagement when singing and using sign language. Staff use songs to help children to predict the routine of the day and children become visibly excited when it is time for group time.

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

• Staff value each child as a unique individual. They use children's interests to plan educational activities and organise the learning environment. For example, children are taken on an outing to explore the frost and ice after finding an ice puddle in the garden area. Staff and leaders know what they want children to learn. Children enjoy sharing stories, which helps to develop their communication and language.
• Staff gather information from parents when children join the nursery. This helps the staff to know children's starting points and their wider life outside of the nursery. The transition process for new children joining or moving rooms is designed to support children to feel safe and secure. Children settle in quickly and feel confident in their environment.
• Leaders and managers are knowledgeable. They have a clear vision of how they want to develop the nursery further. Staff are provided with ongoing training opportunities to help them to develop their practice. However, leaders do not always review the impact of training to ensure that staff with delegated roles are confident in their knowledge specific to their roles.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and feel included in their child's learning. For example, parents are provided strategies to support children's toilet training at home. The staff promote partnership working and provide regular feedback on children's progress to parents.
• Staff plan the environment so that children can freely access activities of their choice, such as play dough, puzzles, construction and role play. Consequently, children are motivated learners who are confident to express their wishes. Children make good progress in their learning and experience quality interactions and a wide range of learning opportunities. However, staff do not always react and provide support and further resources that challenge and extend children's play and learning.
• Babies and younger children form strong attachments to their key person. Staff are knowledgeable and ensure that children are well cared for. When babies are occasionally unsettled, staff respond sensitively with care and warmth to reassure the child.
• Good hygiene measures are in place and children are encouraged to develop independence with their self-care. Young children confidently use the tissue station and mirror to clean their noses and are reminded to wash their hands. Children and adults eat a healthy, nutritious meal together, which makes mealtimes enjoyable and social experiences.
• Managers prioritise staff's well-being and staff report feeling well supported. The low staff turnover and staff's length of service demonstrate their commitment to the nursery. This leads to consistency for the families and children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to use their good knowledge of the children to consistently scaffold, challenge and extend children's learning during activities
• review the impact of training further during staff supervision sessions, to ensure that the knowledge of those with specific lead roles is fully embedded.