Angels Unlimited Nurseries Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly and are eager to play. Staff know children well. They ensure they understand children's individual health needs to keep them healthy and safe. Parents report that their children's social skills, confidence and language have developed particularly well. Babies clap their hands with glee to action songs and point to their nose and mouth. They are secure and happily snuggle into their key person for comfort. Staff form positive relationships with children and their families. This helps children to feel safe. Staff have the same ambition for all children and have established effective partnership working with other professionals and agencies. This ensures that all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, get the support they need.

Staff plan interesting activities to support the curriculum. For example, children learn to hold the top on the shredder as they carefully turn the handle. This promotes the development of their small muscles and problem-solving skills. In the construction area, older children play with the large bricks. As they construct together, they are learning to cooperate to complete tasks. They pass bricks to each other and decide where to place them. This strengthens their social skills and helps them to play harmoniously together. Children experiment with sand and water and learn about volume and capacity. They make good progress and learn the skills they need for their future learning.

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

• The curriculum builds on what children know and can do as they progress through the nursery. Leaders reflect on the curriculum they provide and are committed to making ongoing improvements. Targeted staff training is planned to extend the learning opportunities for children even further.
• The outdoor area has been improved since the last inspection. Resources have been added to enhance children's creative and imaginative play. Leaders have developed an area in the building to support staff's well-being. Staff receive mandatory training, such as for safeguarding and first aid, which helps them to understand their role in keeping children safe.
• The provider did not follow the required process to notify Ofsted of a significant event. However, all other correct procedures regarding this event were followed. Following discussion, leaders are now fully aware of what notifications to make in the future. There is no impact on children's safety.
• Staff give clear messages to children to promote their good health. For example, the children engage in a topic about looking after their teeth. They use play teeth and toothbrushes in their role play to reinforce this. Children are offered healthy meals and can access fruit whenever they are hungry and water when thirsty. This supports their independence and helps children to understand their own needs.
• Children benefit from staff consistently modelling calm and gentle behaviour. They show good levels of compassion for peers who find things more challenging than themselves. For example, they invite a friend to play when they see they are upset.
• Overall, children behave well and are curious and motivated to learn. There are clear routines throughout the nursery day. However, the transitions between play time and mealtimes are not always planned successfully. This means that, during these times, some children become restless and disengaged.
• Staff ensure that children spend time outdoors every day enjoying the freedom and fresh air. Children climb the fun and challenging equipment. They use whole-body movements, which supports all-over muscular development. They take healthy risks, which boosts their independence. Children learn to develop good spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination.
• Staff support children's communication and language development well. Toddlers delight in making animal noises when reading a book with staff. They cuddle up with staff and enthusiastically start singing when they spot a duck on the page. Older children recall the stories they have heard by drawing pictures and explaining them. Visual prompts and sign language are used to support some children's communication skills.
• Overall, parents are complimentary about the setting and comment on how happy their children are to attend. Staff share information with parents at the start and end of each day. However, staff do not always ensure that all parents have information about their children's development in relation to the early years foundation stage (EYFS).

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen partnership with parents to ensure all parents are given information about where their children are in their learning and development in relation to the EYFS
• review the planning of transitions to ensure that children are sufficiently engaged, to maximise their learning.