Arc Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at this friendly and welcoming nursery. They leave their parents with ease and settle quickly into their day. Practitioners know their key children well. They skilfully settle new babies using a range of approaches individual for each child. Children show high levels of confidence in their interactions with adults, for example, children will approach practitioners for help or comfort when needed. They interact with the inspector once they are comfortable, by sharing toys or waving.

Practitioners are positive role models for children. They communicate with each other in a polite and calm manner, and they give children gentle reminders to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children display positive attitudes to learning, they are constantly engaged in activities and play with practitioners and each other. Practitioners ask a range of effective questions to help children think and extend their knowledge and creative ideas.

Leaders and practitioners show genuine passion about the children and the role they play in their learning and development. Leaders know what they want children to learn. Practitioners plan experiences and activities to build on the skills and knowledge children already have. Practitioners know their key children well and value their unique personalities. They understand how each child may learn in different ways and they adapt their activities and approaches accordingly to support children's learning and development. Children's development is tracked closely and any gaps in development are identified swiftly.

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

• Leaders have a clear vision for the nursery. They have effective oversight of the daily management. They keep practitioners up to date with changes and expectations through regular team meetings and supervision sessions. The manager knows the importance of continuous professional development for practitioners and the impact this has on teaching and practice. She encourages practitioners to reach their goals and gain higher qualifications. Practitioners state that they feel supported in their roles.
• All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress in their development. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) supports children well. She supports practitioners to create and carry out care plans with their key children. She works closely with parents and other professionals, such as speech and language therapists and dieticians, to ensure a consistent approach to meeting children's needs. This good practice ensures the best outcomes for children with SEND.
• Practitioners understand the importance of promoting children's language and communication skills. They use various methods to support children, such as signs and objects of reference alongside spoken words. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well. Practitioners gather key words in their home language to support communication in the nursery. Practitioners who speak other languages use this skill to settle new children and teach children different languages.
• Practitioners encourage children to be mostly independent throughout the day. Children are confident to choose their own resources and meet their own personal needs, such as washing hands and putting on their shoes. However, this is not always consistent. For instance, at lunchtime, practitioners serve food or use hand-over-hand methods for some children who are capable, while others do it themselves. This does not fully support all children to develop their independence.
• Children's physical development is supported well. Practitioners ensure that all children benefit from daily activities indoors and outdoors to strengthen their muscles. For example, babies have plenty of space indoors and outdoors to move freely and they access equipment to support pulling themselves up, taking steps and climbing. Older children access outdoor spaces with a range of resources, such as bikes and climbing apparatus, and they learn to navigate steps. Children also benefit from sessions from outside agencies, such as yoga, music and movement, and sports.
• Overall, children behave well and most show an understanding of what is expected. Older children play cooperatively together and share, they turn take with support. Younger children play happily alongside each other. However, practitioners working with the younger children do not support children's behaviour as well as they could. For example, when children take toys away or push their friends, practitioners do not teach children that this behaviour is unwanted. This means some children do not learn right from wrong.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children further to develop their independence consistently.
• support practitioners to use behaviour management strategies consistently to build on children's understanding of behaviour expectations, in particular the younger children.