Aylesbury College Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide flexible and accommodating settling-in processes. These help them to get to know children as individuals. Children settle well and soon become familiar with staff and the daily routines. This helps children to feel confident, safe and secure. Children behave well. Staff provide clear boundaries and give children appropriate reminders to help them understand the behaviour expected. In addition, staff develop children's awareness of how to keep themselves safe, such as guiding them to sit down on the sofa.

Staff provide a strong level of support to all children, including those who need extra help and support. They work very closely with parents and other professionals to understand and successfully meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff understand areas of learning which may need more focus since the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, they promote children's knowledge, understanding and skills consistently through their good teaching.

Children show a strong interest in their play and learning. They participate in a broad range of activities and learning experiences to support their good progress. For instance, babies benefit from staff singing to them individually, such as during nappy changes. Pre-school children learn words and phrases from familiar books and develop good listening skills. Toddlers choose songs from the 'song board' and happily sing and join in with the words and actions.

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

• The managers lead and support staff effectively. Staff benefit from training, including gaining further qualifications. The managers understand their roles as the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead very well. They work successfully with outside professionals and agencies, actively seeking guidance to help them meet the needs of families.
• There is a well-sequenced curriculum across all rooms. This strongly focuses on areas where children may need additional support, such as language and social skills. For example, staff introduce new vocabulary and pronounce words clearly to children to support their developing language skills.
• The provision for children with SEND is strong. Children have access to a sensory room and staff carefully plan tailored activities for them. For instance, staff provide 'bucket time' activities to promote children's language, listening and attention skills. They use additional funding successfully, including providing new experiences for children and meeting their individual needs.
• Children confidently choose their own activities and happily interact with adults. At times, staff do not fully consider how routines may impact on children's care and learning needs. For example, pre-school children waited for all their friends to get ready to go outdoors. This led to some children waiting, who were ready to engage in play. In addition, sometimes there are distractions to young children's focused learning, such as when the room becomes busy with activities.
• Staff provide respectful care routines for babies and toddlers and support their understanding about these well. They show children a nappy alongside talking to them about what will happen. Children learn to do things for themselves. For instance, toddlers clean their own faces and hands after eating and put the wipe in the bin afterwards. At times, staff do not fully extend children's awareness of healthy lifestyles, such as about making healthy choices.
• Children develop their confidence effectively from the start. They form strong relationships with staff, who positively praise and encourage them. This promotes children's self-esteem well. Staff respond promptly when children need support with their behaviour, such as sharing. They provide a good role model to children, including using good manners with them.
• Staff know and understand children as individuals. They reflect children's different backgrounds in the activities and resources. For example, staff plan activities relating to festival and cultural dates and offer books in other languages children speak. Children who speak English as an additional language receive good support. Staff learn and use key words in home languages to support children alongside their learning of English.
• There are strong partnerships with parents. The managers and staff communicate effectively with parents from the time children start. Parents are kept well informed through daily discussions and also through an online app about their child's day and progress. Parents speak highly about the nursery and how they and their children are supported.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the daily routines to further support and meet children's learning and care needs even more successfully
• extend children's further awareness of healthy lifestyles and how to take care of their bodies.