Aspire Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily leave their parents at the front door and enter the environment excited and ready to play. Children are familiar with the daily routines. For example, on arrival, they hang up their coats and find a seat for welcome time. Children develop strong, trusting relationships with staff. They approach staff for cuddles and reassurance. This helps to support children's personal, social and emotional development well. Children behave well and learn how to share and take turns. For instance, children work together to mix mud and water as they create 'chocolate soup'. They take it in turns to fill and empty the kettle as they eagerly make 'tea' for staff. This helps children to develop their imaginative skills.

Children show confidence and independence as they explore the range of activities and resources available. They choose what they want to do and engage well in their play. For example, children freely choose to access creative activities and mark-making equipment. They explore glue, feathers and sequins and proudly show staff their finished creations. Staff provide plenty of praise and encouragement. This helps to develop children's self-esteem. Children take responsibility for some age-appropriate tasks. For example, they serve themselves food at mealtimes and pour their own drinks. This helps children to develop their independence skills.

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

• Children benefit from daily fresh air and exercise. The well-organised and stimulating outdoor area provides many opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. For example, children of all ages confidently ride trikes and scooters. This helps to develop children's balance and coordination. Furthermore, children investigate the grass and mud looking for insects. They excitedly work with staff to find worms and spiders. This helps children to learn about nature and the world around them.
• Staff have good links with staff from the local school. They work together to ensure a successful transition for children. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They work closely with other agencies, such as speech and language and children's centre staff, to help children make the best possible progress.
• Children behave well. Staff are excellent role models. They encourage and support children with clear and consistent messages. Staff teach children good manners and promote positive behaviour. Where children need support, staff provide gentle reminders. This helps children to understand what behaviour is expected.
• Staff work well together and there is a calm, happy environment throughout the setting. Staff feel well supported by the leadership team. The manager carries out regular supervision sessions to provide staff with coaching and mentoring. However, the manager recognises that there is more she can do to target staff's professional development to enable them to develop their teaching skills to an even higher level.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents speak highly of the staff and the leadership team. Staff regularly exchange information with parents about children's progress. They offer advice and support to help parents continue their children's learning at home. Parents comment that 'staff know children well and are very supportive'.
• Staff provide a stimulating and inclusive learning environment. They plan a range of exciting activities and experiences. For example, children develop their understanding of dental hygiene as they practise using toothbrushes. However, occasionally, activities do not meet the individual needs of all children. This means that some children do not always learn as much as they can from these opportunities.
• Mathematics is woven throughout the curriculum. Children are eager to find numbers as they read books with staff. They count as they walk across stepping stones in the outdoor environment. This helps to develop children's counting and number recognition skills.
• Children benefit from the strong focus that staff place on their communication and language skills. Staff narrate as children play and they introduce new vocabulary. They spend time reading books, and children enjoy singing songs and nursery rhymes. This helps children make good progress in their speaking and listening skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the programme for professional development for staff, in order to develop the quality of teaching to an even higher level
• enhance further staff's understanding of the curriculum, to help them sharply focus on the identified learning intentions for each child.