Alvechurch And Bordesley Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children form secure attachments to their key person and staff. As a result, children feel safe and secure. They respect one another and learn to play amicably with their peers. The friendly staff are attentive to children's needs and provide them with reassuring cuddles. Children enjoy a good balance of adult-led activities and child-initiated play. In the warmer months, children spend the day in the nursery's spacious and inviting garden, which provides them with enjoyable outdoor learning experiences. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points. Children with SEND benefit from targeted support from other professionals, staff and parents to ensure their individual needs are met.

Children develop excellent physical skills. They skilfully use climbing apparatus and learn to navigate and negotiate space successfully. Children are wonderfully curious and develop essential skills for the future. They learn how to take safe risks and develop independence and resilience. Older children carefully climb the low branches of a tree. Younger children learn how to sit safely in a hammock and gently swing themselves from side to side.

Children have wonderful opportunities to learn about the natural world and the environment. For example, children explore natural materials, play with the mud and work together to build dens. They help to plant and grow vegetables and flowers and understand that plants need water and sunlight to grow. Children enjoy watching bees in the garden and learn about their habitat. They hear new words such as 'translucent' as they talk about the wings of a dragonfly.

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

• The manager is dedicated and passionate about her role. She has a clear vision of the skills and knowledge that she wants children to learn while at the nursery and before they leave for school when the time comes. The manager provides regular and effective professional development opportunities to staff to support them to continually improve their practice.
• Partnership with parents is strong. The manager and staff offer home visits before children join the nursery and implement flexible settling-in routines. They find out key information from parents which helps staff to plan effectively and follow familiar care routines. The manager and staff share information with parents, both verbally and via an online learning journal.
• The manager and staff place a high priority on supporting children's emotional well-being. For example, children learn to express how they are feeling and enjoy calm and relaxing mindfulness sessions. Staff encourage children to express their opinions and ideas and to feel confident in asking for help. They offer children an abundance of praise for their achievements, which helps them to feel valued and raises their self-esteem.
• Staff provide children with opportunities to make marks and practise their early writing skills in preparation for later writing. They support children's communication and early literacy skills well. For example, children develop a good understanding of rhythm and rhyme. They enthusiastically tap their knees while singing familiar songs and independently look at books. Younger children enjoy exploring the different sounds of musical instruments.
• Children benefit from a range of resources that develop their imagination and help motivate them to explore, investigate and experiment. Children of all ages have access to messy play and sensory activities. They enjoy transporting water and sand to the mud kitchen and excitedly say they are baking cakes. Children dress up as firefighters and talk about how they have to climb up ladders. Younger children have lots of fun as they splash their hands in water and learn the names of colours as they play with toy boats.
• Children take part in regular outings in the local community. They visit the village post office and residential home for the elderly, which helps to support children's social skills and allows them to learn about their community. However, there is scope for the manager and staff to increase the opportunities children have to develop their understanding and awareness of religions, beliefs and cultures that are different from their own. This would help children to learn about diversity and the wider world and be prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Children enjoy a range of freshly cooked meals as part of a healthy and balanced diet. They show a good awareness of hygiene procedures, such as washing their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Mealtimes are social occasions where children talk with each other and staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more opportunities for children to develop their awareness and understanding of diversity among people and the wider world.