Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Hoddesdon

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children come in happily to the nursery. They separate well from their parents and are eager to start their day of play and exploration. Children settle quickly and have close bonds with staff, remembering their names and chattering about recent events. Staff encourage parents to come into the nursery, offering time to talk and further building staff's understanding of the needs of children and their families. Staff reflect the nursery's ethos of encouraging children to be resilient, curious learners. Children respond to this positive environment, confidently exploring new resources and activities.

Staff value each child and ensure their views are respected. Children help review the nursery's 'golden rules'. They remember these as they play, responding to staff's consistent, high expectations. For instance, children are learning to settle minor disputes and organise turn taking. Staff involve children in planning the nursery's menus. Children talk about a healthy, balanced diet, helping them to gain a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. Thoughtful daily practices support children's growing independence. Children of all ages use the 'self-help' station in their rooms, for example putting on their own slippers and wiping their noses. Good staff support aids children in understanding safety, such as how to use scissors and other tools safely.

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

• The manager is committed to the nursery's continuous development. She shares her enthusiasm with staff and acts as a good role model. Staff receive practical supervision, enabling them to identify training needs and develop their practice. Staff state that they feel valued and supported.
• Staff understand the purpose and content of the nursery's curriculum. They use it as a practical daily guide to aid them in building logically on what children are learning. Staff link activities to children's interests, helping to capture their attention and aiding them in making good progress. Robust monitoring means that any weaker areas of learning are quickly identified and addressed.
• Staff support children in building an enjoyment of books. Children of all ages freely access books. They enjoy taking book packs home to share with parents. They use the props to act out the stories, sharing their experience with staff and children when they return to nursery. Staff repeat books and rhymes, enabling children to establish favourites and become familiar with new vocabulary.
• Staff appreciate the importance of supporting children in developing their language and communication skills. They model good language and often provide a running commentary on children's play. They check that children understand new words and give them time to use these. For example, younger children playing with coloured dough listen as a staff member describes the colours. They repeat this later as they exclaim 'blue and green dough'.
• Staff observe children and use their interests to help promote their development. For example, older children showing an interest in numbers look at clocks. They talk about what time means and examine digital and analogue clocks.
• Children gain a practical awareness of diversity. For instance, they take home the nursery's 'special bear' and share photographs and discussions about their adventures with the bear. This aids children in noticing differences, such as in family compositions and traditions.
• Staff quickly identify any areas where children require further support. They work well with parents and external professionals, making sure that children receive timely, pertinent support. This helps to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress while at the nursery.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and highlight the progress their children have made, particularly noting their speech and social skills. Parents praise the 'positive, attentive' staff. They feel that communication is good, enabling them to understand what their children have been learning and build on this.
• Staff, generally, encourage children to build on their spontaneous play. For example, when children use a hole punch, staff encourage them to count the number of holes and examine the symmetrical pattern. However, staff do not consistently make the best of these opportunities and do not extend children's learning as much as possible.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to build on the opportunities to consistently extend children's learning and fully promote their development.