Auckland House Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery happy and eager to start their day. They are welcomed by friendly and nurturing staff who plan experiences that they know children will enjoy. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and teach them the importance of good manners, sharing and turn taking. On the whole, children know the daily routine and follow instructions well. They help to tidy up and listen carefully to staff when they speak. Children know what is expected of them, this helps them to feel safe and secure at nursery.

Staff implement a strong curriculum for communication and language development from the start. Younger babies practise animal sounds and learn key phrases, such as 'ready, steady, go'. Older children impressively sing entire songs to their friends independently at circle time. They demonstrate a great deal of self-confidence. For children who do not yet communicate verbally staff plan bespoke activities that help them to learn key words, such as 'eyes', 'nose', and 'mouth'. Children are supported to learn at their own pace. They are well prepared for the next stage in their development.

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

• The manager plans a balanced curriculum that builds on children's existing skills. She considers what children already know and how this can be extended as they transition through the nursery. Staff plan accurate next steps in learning and incorporate these into their activities. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress from their starting points.
• The support in place for children with SEND is well embedded. The special educational needs and disability coordinator (SENDCo) works closely with other professionals to implement individual support plans for children who need them. She makes timely referrals to outside agencies and seeks support from the school SENDCo when needed. This helps to ensure that children who are at risk of falling behind receive swift intervention.
• Overall, children have a positive attitude to learning and are motivated to join in. They benefit from lots of interaction with staff and are beginning to develop good concentration skills, particularly during adult-led activities. However, staff do not always recognise when children, who are less confident, need more support to join in with the activities on offer. Consequently, some children spend time wandering and not engaged in purposeful play or learning.
• Staff enhance activities with books and mark making equipment to help promote children's literacy development. They encourage children to explore toy animals and match them to animals in the books. Children use chalks to draw lines and circles, practising their pre-writing skills. Staff narrate to children about what they are drawing giving meaning to the marks they make. This helps children to develop some of the skills they need for school.
• Most of the time, staff implement the daily routine well and support children to understand what is happening now and next. However, staff have not yet found effective ways to support children when transitioning from outdoors to indoors at lunch time. This means some children need to wait at the table for their lunch for longer than is necessary. Consequently, they become fractious and unsettled.
• Parents are happy with the quality of care provided. They receive updates about children's development and daily feedback about their day. The manager provides monthly newsletters which informs parents of the overall curriculum and what children have been doing at nursery. Parents value the online application and share information about children's experiences at home. This two-way flow of information helps to provide continuity in care and learning.
• The manager is very new to her post and well supported by the senior leaders. She has started to implement more robust procedures for supervision, coaching and mentoring, however, these are still in their infancy. Not all staff consistently receive feedback on their practice or access professional development opportunities, beyond mandatory training. Consequently, there are some inconsistencies in the quality of education across the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise when quiet and less confident children need help to engage in more purposeful play and learning
• review the organisation of transitions and routines, particularly at mealtimes, to prevent children needing to wait too long
• strengthen the procedures for supervision and professional development for staff, to provide more consistency in the quality of education.