A's Pre-School & Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they are happy and settled as they arrive at nursery. They negotiate the stairs with confidence and greet their friends and staff with enthusiasm. Children are welcomed warmly by their key person as they say goodbye to their parents at the door. Staff say how well this new system is working with children, who have developed confidence and secure attachments with the caring staff team. In addition, they note how well this prepares children for routines that they will follow at school. Children show genuine kindness towards each other. Older children are very caring and respectful towards the younger children or those who are quieter or less confident. All children receive good levels of support and reassurance from the staff. This has a positive effect on children's confidence, behaviour and emotional well-being.

Leaders have high expectations for the nursery, and the curriculum covers all areas of learning. It helps children to develop the skills they need for starting school. Staff organise regular outings and visits to enrich children's learning. For example, they make the most of every opportunity outdoors to promote children's learning and independence. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may need extra help in their learning and development are well supported. Staff work effectively with other professionals, and they use guidance to skilfully develop children's vocabulary by planning a rich and varied curriculum. Staff engage in meaningful conversations with children and listen carefully to what they have to say. There is strong support for children who speak English as an additional language. Staff speak several languages and are skilled in their interactions with children. As a result, children approach their play with enthusiasm and are eager to join in.

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

• The manager and staff have worked well with the local early years team to meet the actions arising from the previous inspection. Staff fully welcome their new manager to the team to continue this support and progress. The relatively new staff team and manager work well as a team and communicate effectively with each other. Together, they continue to make positive changes to the nursery. Leaders are now supporting staff to undertake observations of each other so they can more quickly identify where to improve individual practice.
• Staff have fully considered the organisation of transition times, including lunchtime, to enhance this valuable experience for all children. Staff skilfully encourage children's enthusiasm for learning and caring for the environment through first-hand opportunities and experiences. For example, during their daily outings, children explore and ask questions as they walk to the recycling centre with the items they have brought in from home. Staff teach children about road safety and how to keep safe when they are exploring the local community.
• The nursery environment provides an exciting and welcoming space for children to explore. Resources in the role-play area are planned to maximise the learning potential and offer the widest choice for children. For example, the recycling centre in the home corner includes recycling bags and board games, as well as creative materials, to make the most of children's imagination and creative ideas. This reinforces what children are learning from their outing; it helps them to consolidate and extend their learning even more.
• Staff know the children well. They plan activities that they know will interest children and challenge them appropriately. Overall, teaching is good. Staff use creative and enjoyable ways to support and enrich children's learning. Children follow the positive examples from staff and other children. Staff carefully select books to introduce new words and concepts that support children's own ability to communicate and help them to understand the world around them. Staff quickly identify where children need support and plan effectively to narrow any gaps in their learning. This includes providing training and resources that help staff to promote children's communication and language skills.
• Staff encourage children to play physically and strengthen their muscles. For example, children climb and balance as they negotiate the climbing area and ball pool. Staff talk about exercise and why the food at lunchtime is so good for the children, which helps them to understand the importance of having a nutritious diet. This contributes to children's good health and physical development.
• Parents say that the levels of progress their children have made since starting at the setting, particularly in their communication and language, confidence and independence, are greatly appreciated. Staff gather children's key health information to help them assess how to keep children safe and secure in the nursery. Some parents would appreciate a greater focus on communication about their children's development so that they could continue to support their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed the system for monitoring the quality of provision, including the recently introduced opportunities for staff to observe each other to improve their practice, so that teaching is consistently of a high standard
• continue to improve the existing good systems for communication to further enhance effective information-sharing with all parents.