Ark Start, John Archer

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are quick to separate from their parents at this nurturing setting. They thoroughly enjoy coming into nursery and feel happy and safe as they play and explore. Children benefit from a well-organised environment, and staff plan carefully to meet their interests and needs. Children make independent choices about what they want to play with, with support from visuals used by staff so that they know what is available. This helps with their level of engagement in the activities available. Toddlers repeatedly pour water into water wheels and watch with fascination as the paddles spin around. Older children see how tall they can build their 'house' with wooden blocks before it topples down.

Staff are kind, caring and provide emotional support for younger children when they need it. For instance, staff cuddle children who are still sleepy after a nap. Children begin to learn about their emotions and how to manage them. Staff regularly talk to children about how they are feeling. Children build positive relationships as they play and are thoughtful and considerate of each other. For example, older children help their friends do the zip up on their coats before going outside.

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

• The manager is passionate and driven in her intent to offer the very best early years experience. Staff use children's developing interests and their knowledge of what they need to learn next to provide a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. The manager and staff ensure that all children receive the help and support they need. They work together with parents and other professionals and use this information when setting targets for learning. This helps all children make good progress from their starting points.
• Children's early literacy skills are progressing very well. There is a key focus on developing these skills in preparation for the next stage of learning and the transition to school. Adults read with expression, and toddlers squeal in excitement as they listen intently. Children dress up to help re-enact the story of 'The Three Little Pigs.' They are later heard using phrases from the story in independent imaginative play.
• Staff use a variety of opportunities to develop children's communication and language skills. They provide a narrative for children as they play, introduce words like 'funnel' and 'cog' to broaden their vocabulary and reinforce instructions with Makaton signs. For children who speak English as an additional language, staff find out words in their home language and use these in their interactions with them. This helps all children to make good progress in this area.
• Staff challenge children as they learn and encourage them to think for themselves. For instance, adults ask younger children how they might stop their construction from wobbling, and older children test out varied surfaces, to work out which one is easiest to attach an item to through suction. This helps develop children's critical-thinking skills.
• Overall, children behave well. They use good manners and remember to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Adults use a sand timer so that children know how much time they have to play before they need to tidy up. This helps children respond positively to transitions between routines. However, occasionally, when children display unwanted behaviour, staff are not always consistent in their responses, and other children repeat the same behaviour.
• Overall, children's self-help skills develop well. Children feed themselves cereal, clean tables after snack time and put their coats on. However, there are occasions when adults do things for children rather than giving them the opportunity to try for themselves. For example, staff wash toddler's hands for them before lunch.
• Staff work very hard to meet the needs of children and parents. Parents say that they receive 'amazing support' and that home visits with their children's key worker and the nursery's family support manager helps children transition into the nursery smoothly. Staff share information daily about children's care and learning. This helps to support the continuity of care and learning between home and the setting.
• There is a strong focus on continually developing staff skills and knowledge. Staff make good use of knowledge they acquire from training. For instance, staff use strategies from an emotional literacy course to help children begin to understand their own emotions.
• The nominated individual failed to notify Ofsted of a change in the manager of the setting. While this is a statutory requirement, this did not have an impact on the children or the running of the setting. The nominated individual has improved her knowledge of required notifications to ensure this does not happen again.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide a more consistent approach to behaviour management to better support children's understanding of appropriate behaviour
• strengthen opportunities for children to develop their self-help skills further.