Appletree Children's Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at this warm and welcoming nursery. Staff are positive and caring. Children develop close bonds with their key person. Staff effectively use information collected from parents when children start to help them understand children's interests and meet their individual needs. This supports children to settle quickly and helps them feel safe and secure. Babies who are new to the nursery show they already feel safe in their new environment. Staff affectionately play with babies and offer plenty of cuddles and affection when babies become a little unsettled. Children run in when they arrive and quickly participate in the wide range of interesting activities staff have prepared. Staff thoughtfully plan these activities to ensure children develop a wide range of skills and knowledge across the curriculum. For instance, toddlers confidently use sieves and buckets to scoop sand and make sandcastles. Staff model how to use the tools correctly, and use encouraging language to support children to keep trying. This helps to develop children's physical skills and supports their concentration and focus.

Children are encouraged to be independent in all aspects of their self-care and learning. Staff carefully design each room to make sure children can access toys and learning resources for themselves. Young children are supported to put on their own wellies and rain suits to go outside. Older children pour their own drinks and wash their plates after snack. This supports children to develop the independence skills they need ready for school.

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

• The management team has recently implemented a new ambitious curriculum. There is a clear focus on children's independence and encouraging children to feel confident to explore and investigate the motivating activities staff provide. These activities are carefully planned to help children make good progress from their starting points.
• All staff share the same ethos around creating an environment with a 'family feel.' Staff know children well and quickly build secure relationships with them. Staff use positive and encouraging language and praise children for their achievements and for persevering. Children are keen to share their learning with staff and go to them when they need support or help. For instance, children proudly show staff pictures they have drawn and ask for help completing jigsaw puzzles. These positive relationships help children to become confident and resilient learners.
• Staff use a flexible approach to enable them to adapt to changes in children's levels of interest throughout the day. For instance, staff skilfully change a ribbon activity from dancing to jumping when children show a desire to be more physically active. This quick response helps sustain children's interests and makes the learning more meaningful. However, staff's understanding of what children need to know or be able to do next is not secure. This means they do not always know how to provide children with the challenge they need that builds on their existing skills and knowledge.
• Relationships with parents are effective. Staff use a variety of communication methods to ensure parents are involved in their children's learning. Parents appreciate the regular photos and updates about children's learning and the progress they are making. Parents comment on the support staff give them, such as tips for toilet training. Parents receive termly newsletters. These include information and support on how parents can support their children at home with healthy eating, teeth brushing and school readiness. This helps the continuity of learning for children.
• Babies receive quality interactions and engagement from nurturing and attentive staff. Staff tune in to babies' gestures, movements, and facial expressions and use these cues to sensitively respond to babies. For example, staff repeat back what babies are trying to say, make simple repetitive sounds for babies to copy, and name objects and actions, giving babies the words they need. This supports babies' communication and language development. However, these high levels of interaction and engagement are not consistent across the nursery. Staff sometimes miss opportunities to engage and interact with toddlers and older children. They do not consistently model language, teach children new vocabulary, help children pronounce difficult words, or involve them in back-and-forth conversations. This means toddlers and older children do not receive the support they need to fully extend their language and communication skills.
• There is a robust system in place to support staff's professional development and well-being. Staff retention is good. This means parents and children know staff well. This contributes to the family feel of the nursery and helps build trusting relationships.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve staff's understanding of what children need to know and be able to do next so that they can provide the challenge children need that builds on their existing skills and knowledge
• ensure all staff consistently engage in quality interactions with toddlers and older children to fully support their language and communication skills.