Artemis Hollington

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and secure in the nursery. They come in happily and confidently engage in the enjoyable activities on offer. Children have positive attitudes and concentrate on the activities that interest them. For example, the youngest children focus on making patterns with their hands and other tools in the flour. Children learn to share and willingly take turns to cuddle the different baby dolls and to do 'little squeezes' of toothpaste for their friends.

Children learn how to keep themselves safe. They use clipboards to check that chairs are tucked in and that things that may cause slips and trips are tidied away. Children are supported to manage the behaviour well. For example, staff are prompt to explain and reinforce expectations and re-direct children to alternative activities to help them be successful.

Relationships between the staff and the children are warm and trusting. Children will often seek reassurance from staff and particularly enjoy sitting in the inviting book corners to share a book. The youngest children turn the pages and point to things that interest them, while older children comment on the characters and giggle at their actions.

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

• Staff have forged strong partnerships with parents. Parents are pleased with the availability of staff and the level of communication they provide. They are regularly informed about their child's learning and progress, both verbally and via the online system. Parents know what their child's next steps are and how they can support learning at home. Parents value the advice they receive from staff in accessing other services.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are effectively supported. The special educational needs coordinator monitors children and, where necessary, seeks the advice of external professionals. This helps children to make good progress.
• Staff support communication and language effectively. They plan activities to encourage conversation. They speak to children clearly, repeating words and phrases back to them to support their understanding and pronunciation. Staff introduce children to new vocabulary, such as the terms for young animals or describing the feel of different textures. Children begin to copy these new words, correctly naming a baby sheep a lamb.
• Staff observe children as they learn through their play. They monitor their progress carefully and plan appropriate activities to address gaps in learning. Most staff question effectively, but at times this does not effectively challenge children's critical thinking.
• Leaders are reflective about their practice. Staff benefit from regular meetings with the manager to review their practice and training needs. Leaders have clear plans to improve the provision, such as undertaking cooking sessions with parents to support healthy eating habits economically.
• Staff provide good support to help children understand the importance of dental hygiene. They practise cleaning the teeth of the dinosaur, brushing away the remnants of pretend food. Children learn which way to brush their teeth to remove food.
• Activities to support children's mathematical development are available in all rooms. Children learn to count and to recognise shapes and numbers. However, occasionally, staff do not focus on the development of mathematical language, or make effective use of the environment to support children in understanding that mathematics is all around them.
• Staff provide a range of activities to support children's sensory skills. The youngest children enjoy the soft feel of the flour as it runs through their fingers. Older children experience different textures in the farm; grass for the cows and sheep but a mixture of cereals for the chickens and pigs.
• Children have wide ranging opportunities to develop their physical skills. Outside, children climb and play throwing and catching games. Young children hold the hands of adults to support their walking. All children mark make, supporting early writing. Babies have great fun using sponges, brushes and their hands to make marks with the paint. Older children use pens and crayons to write recipes or envelopes for the postman to deliver.
• Children are well prepared for school. They learn to be independent from an early age, putting on their own painting aprons, pouring drinks and spreading their crackers with toppings.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• use open-ended questioning techniques consistently to challenge children's critical thinking skills
• focus on the development of mathematical language and the use of the environment to support mathematical understanding.