Amanah Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's eagerness and enthusiasm is infectious. They have big smiles on their faces and joyfully greet the staff. Children thrive in this nurturing and stimulating nursery. They are secure, happy and willing to learn. Children have a sense of individuality in a safe environment where they develop their unique character. They excitedly interact with their friends and key persons as they pretend to be dinosaurs. Children talk about their favourite dinosaurs and pretend to eat the same type of food.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They learn to be incredibly kind and respectful to all individuals. Children excitedly share resources while they investigate flowing water outdoors. Children are proud of their achievements and become part of a 'class community'. They develop a sense of responsibility and know how to risk-assess their play areas. For example, they recognise the dangers of having sand on the floor and work together to sweep up. They work as a class to 'get the job done' when it is time to tidy up.

Children gain high levels or respect for one another through learning about similarities and differences in the community. For example, staff provide children with a wide range of visits to places of worship. Children visit the local church vicar to learn about Christmas; they sit at the altar and read a story together. Children visit a gurdwara and learn how to enter the premises respectfully by taking off their shoes. They experience a trip to a mosque where they learn about how to pray. Children see the differences in faiths and communities and talk about their own home life and traditions.

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

• Management is incredibly encouraging and respectful towards children, parents and staff. They fully support staff to follow their professional interests and provide them with extensive opportunities to extend their knowledge and skills. This training has enabled the staff to be incredibly knowledgeable about early education, and highly reflective of their practice as a team.
• The managements' curriculum is in-depth, coherent and highly ambitious for each individual child. Staff have a firm knowledge of the curriculum intent, and how to implement children's next steps in learning into everyday practice. The progress children make is outstanding. Staff obtain rigorous information about each child from their parents to ensure children settle quickly and receive high-quality care and education.
• Management and staff are quick to assess children when they first attend the setting. Their meticulous approach ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive exceptional one-to-one support. Staff are highly attuned to each child's individual interests and development needs. They embed learning targets into each interest to help engage children in an activity of their choice and ensure that they access all areas of the early years foundation stage. Staff plan exceptionally well to provide children with activities that they have not experienced before. For example, children use all of their senses to explore exciting 'messy play' and different textures.
• Children excel in their communication and language and confidently use it in their play. Children with speech delay learn an array of vocabulary and quickly begin to speak in sentences. They discuss how it's raining and how they will get wet without a coat on. Children with English as an additional language speak fluently in both English and their home languages. They talk about the characters of stories and what might happen next. They discuss the characters emotions and consider whether they are being 'nice or not'.
• Staff's promotion of healthy living is outstanding. They give opportunities for children to access fruit and vegetables, which might not be available at home. Children excitedly visit their local Jamaican store to buy exotic fruits. They chop the fruit and make smoothies to try at snack time. Staff skilfully support children who are more reluctant to try new food and encourage them to explore the fruit and its texture. Children have a chance to independently brush their teeth and learn about the process.
• Children progress extremely well in their physical development. They learn to use a wide range of challenging equipment safely; they climb walls, rope ladders and slides. They learn to balance on toadstools with their friends, and how to pedal a bike for the first time. Children move in a variety of ways with confidence and stability. They learn how to take off and put on their coats and shoes independently. Children become self-sufficient in their self-care and are school ready.
• Parent partnerships are inspirational. Staff maintain strong and open bonds with parents, who feel like they are part of a family. Management and staff have an in-depth understanding of the unique needs of each child and their families. They expertly use this knowledge to support parents to continue children's learning at home and prioritise their emotional security. For example, management signpost parents to additional support they can access for their children and families, such as translator facilities.