Angels Day Nursery Sutton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle well on arrival. They enjoy their time at nursery and have fun as they become absorbed in the activities, indoors and outdoors. Children form positive relationships with staff and each other. In particular, babies who are new to the nursery settle easily and quickly form close bonds with their key person. Children's individual needs are known by staff. Babies explore through a range of different experiences, including sensory materials, such as cereal play, paint and water play. They enjoy squeezing sponges and soft balls and splashing in the water. Children develop their physical skills through a range of stimulating experiences. They spend lots of time in the outdoor area where they develop their large-muscle skills as they run and ride around a track and over a bridge in cars with their friends. Children dig and look for insects and bugs in the garden and the mud kitchen is a favourite as they fill containers with water and pretend they are cooking.

Children's behaviour is exemplary, because staff have high expectations of them. For example, pre-school children happily share resources with their friends and when a child sneezed another child said 'bless you'. This shows they have a great deal of genuine kindness and support for their peers. Children develop an awareness of taking care of themselves and the environment. This includes dressing for outdoor play, helping to tidy up and independently washing their hands before eating.

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

• The leadership of the setting is strong. The provider has clear ambitions to continually improve the quality of the care and teaching. The manager works closely with staff. She has a good awareness of the areas of strengths within the team, as well as areas for further development. Each member of staff receives regular support through one-to-one supervisions and team meetings. In addition, staff receive ongoing training and leaders quiz them to test their knowledge of safeguarding.
• There is a clear curriculum to support children's learning and they make good progress over time. Children participate in their learning well and staff join in their play with enthusiasm. Overall, staff implement the curriculum securely by planning spontaneously as children play. However, on occasion, some staff do not always consistently follow children's interests or sufficiently challenge them to help extend their learning even further.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language are well supported. Additionally, staff use pictures to support children's understanding of words and routines. Staff work very closely with parents and other agencies to support children's progress and understand the needs of individual children. This ensures that children's needs are well planned for and that early help is identified, where necessary, to close the gaps in their development.
• Children develop language skills. They listen to stories and enjoy looking at books on their own. They regularly hear words and repetitive phrases, such as through rhymes and singing songs. However, not all staff use consistent strategies with young children to support their developing communication and language skills to the highest level.
• Staff promote children's health well. Children learn about the importance of healthy eating and good oral hygiene. Children are very independent in their self-care, remembering to wash their hands after toileting and before eating. Staff place a high priority on supporting children's well-being. They plan activities for children to learn the importance of brushing their teeth and children know that milk and yoghurt gives them calcium, which is good for bones.
• Staff feel well supported to carry out their roles and responsibilities. Senior staff are not included in ratio so they can be on hand to support staff. Managers conduct regular supervision meetings and carry out observations of staff practice. Staff well-being is given good consideration with mindful colouring sheets and inspirational statements to encourage them. In addition, staff are recognised for their hard work and achievements with gifts.
• Parents state that their children enjoy attending the nursery. They comment that staff support their children and that staff give them activities to do with their children at home. In addition, parents access a lending library and the provider supports them with electronic devices so they can join in the online activities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• monitor staff's practice more precisely, to ensure the curriculum is implemented as effectively as possible, to build on children's knowledge and skills even further
• review staff's practice to ensure that they use every learning opportunity to promote children's communication and language development to the highest level.