Alphabet House Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily enter this bustling and welcoming nursery. They form positive relationships with staff and their peers and are confident in their play. Babies have very good bonds with key staff. They confidently approach them for support and 'check in' with them when they are feeling unsure. Staff help babies to take their first steps and provide an enabling environment in which to do this. They hold babies' hands to help them stand and encourage them to move towards another member of staff. Babies show delight as they achieve a few steps, and staff praise them highly for their success.

Overall, children behave well. They listen to staff from a young age and learn to follow simple instructions. For example, babies know to come to the table when it is time to eat. Children enjoy being outdoors and have free-flow access to the outside space. Older children show good coordination as they climb on frames and race each other on scooters. Toddlers enjoy scooping sand into buckets, and babies skilfully pull themselves up to standing on well-placed equipment under the watchful eyes of staff. This helps to build children's confidence, strengthen their large-muscle skills and promote their good health.

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

• Children with additional needs, along with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are very well supported. The staff know these children well and understand how to support their individual needs. They help parents to seek support from outside agencies, such as speech and language and an educational psychologist. A communication group is offered every week, with the support of the local children's centre, to support the children who struggle the most with their speaking skills. Staff are beginning to use the techniques they observe and discuss to help support the children's development further. However, support for children's communication and language is not yet fully effective as some staff forget to build further on children's speech as they play alongside them.
• Overall, the curriculum is well thought out and planned effectively. The staff get to know the children well. Key persons regularly assess children's development and identify appropriate targets for each child. Staff use this information to tailor the learning environment to the individual needs of the children. Most children play between two group rooms, which includes children from a broad range of ages. However, sometimes, children who are less able or confident appear overwhelmed and become distracted by the large range of toys on offer. This leads to less-focused play and learning.
• Generally, children behave well and begin to understand right from wrong. However, there are times when some staff forget to remind children how to behave with others or challenge them when they are unkind. While they tell them to stop throwing the sand or not to snatch books, they do so without explanation. This means that children do not consistently learn what staff expect of them or how to manage their behaviour.
• Children enjoy using their senses to explore. Older children independently take off their shoes and comment on the 'cold sand' on their feet. Staff help them to recall holidays where they have played in the sand. Toddlers enjoy the feel of play dough as they prod, poke and squish it in their hands. At mealtimes, babies use their hands to eat their cake. They squeeze the cake between their fingers and watch as it falls on the floor.
• The experienced manager works tirelessly to continually improve the provision. Staff say that their well-being and professional development are well supported. Regular supervision meetings are provided to allow time for staff to talk about any issues or concerns they may have. The manager uses this time to talk about the good practice she has observed and shares suggestions for improvement and training. Monthly team meetings take place where all staff come together with the management team to share any recent learning and good practice to help improve the provision.
• Partnerships with parents and other professionals are good. Key persons meet regularly with parents and share information regarding children's progress. They work closely with local schools to ensure a smooth transition for older children. Staff engage the support of outside agencies as required to help aid children's learning further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to use a wider range of strategies to support children's communication and language skills even further
• plan more effectively for children's individual needs so that all children can focus and engage in their play, particularly when they are grouped together in broader age ranges
• enhance staff's knowledge of how to consistently support children when they show inappropriate behaviour, to help children understand what is expected of them.