Alphabet House

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager to arrive at the nursery. They receive a warm welcome from the kind, caring and friendly staff, which helps them to feel safe and settled. Children quickly put their belongings away. They follow excellent hygiene practices and know to wash their hands before entering the playroom. Children practise their literacy skills as they find a card with their name written on so that they can self-register.

Staff plan and provide an exciting range of activities for children. Children are motivated to learn. They show high levels of concentration as they work together to transport water across a course of pipes and tubes. Children cooperate with each other to problem-solve when the course collapses so that they can rebuild it. They demonstrate strong communication skills as they use their breadth of vocabulary to talk to each other and share ideas. For example, when the bowl at the end of the course is becoming full, they alert their friends to help them empty it and say that it will 'overflow'.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They encourage children to resolve conflict with their friends when they become upset with them. Children learn how to share and take turns as they role play being hairdressers. At lunchtime, children demonstrate their increasing levels of independence as they confidently open their own lunch boxes and remove food from its packaging to put onto their plates.

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

• The joint managers are extremely passionate and committed to providing children with a top-quality provision. They have devised a well-sequenced curriculum, which provides children with a breadth of experiences across the seven areas of learning and development. The curriculum helps to prepare children well for the next stage in their learning.
• The nursery provides an induction process for new children, which supports them to settle in quickly. Staff observe children during this time, and exchange information with parents, to help them to understand children's individual needs. Managers are responsive to any delays in children's development during this time. They identify gaps in children's learning and work in partnership with parents and other professionals to provide early intervention for children to enable them to reach their potential.
• All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding, receive a good quality of education. Staff plan and provide a broad range of interesting activities and experiences that target what children need to learn next. Children remain highly engaged and motivated in their play and learning. However, on some occasions, staff do not identify opportunities to challenge children to extend their learning even further.
• Children thoroughly enjoy playing in the exciting outdoor area. They practise their physical skills as they learn to use a climbing frame. Children show perseverance as they develop their coordination and balance skills when using a stand-on bike to move around the play area.
• Children's behaviour is impeccable. They form respectful relationships with staff and their peers. Staff remind them daily of the nursery rules at group circle time, and children show an understanding of these.
• Children are supported to learn about, and lead, healthy lifestyles. They know that they must brush their teeth after eating sugary foods, such as cookies. Children are supported to choose from healthy foods they bring for lunch and snack times. Staff act as positive role models to children. They model healthy eating habits as they sit down with children to eat their own lunches.
• Parents are overjoyed with the service that the nursery offers. They say that their children love attending. Parents compliment staff on the information they receive about what their children are learning and how they can support their learning at home. The nursery provides books for children to take home and share with their parents, to further promote their early love for reading.
• Managers are actively involved in the nursery. They spend their time working directly with staff and children. This enables them to provide continuous support to staff and understand any pressures they may face. Managers closely monitor teaching and ensure that staff access continuous training and professional development opportunities to improve their personal effectiveness even further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's awareness of when to increase challenge for children and extend their learning further.