Baby Bugs Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children settle well in this fun, friendly and welcoming nursery. Children have formed positive relationships with staff and feel safe and secure. They show a positive attitude to learning and behave well. Children play cooperatively with their peers and follow the nursery routines independently.

The curriculum is designed and implemented well. Staff know what they want children to learn to help them progress in their development. Babies develop strong physical skills. They reach and grab items hanging down from the activity gym as they lie underneath. Staff implement tummy time, encouraging babies to strengthen their head, shoulders and arms. Staff lay on the floor with them and make eye contact. They use tambourines to encourage babies to reach out and to roll from their front to their back, strengthening their core muscles. Older babies confidently climb up the small climbing apparatus, carefully navigating their way up the steps and down the slide. They beam with delight at their own achievements, and staff clap and smile. Older children learn to ride bikes, using the pedals to move forward and backwards. They help each other to push the bikes back up the slope and understand how to keep themselves and others safe.

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

• Staff engage well with children and talk to them about recent experiences, such as a trip to the local fire station. Children talk about the emergency services and how they would need to dial '999' to call for an ambulance, the police or a firefighter. Staff extend their knowledge, talking to children about how they can also call the coastguard if someone needs help in the sea.
• Children develop a strong understanding of oral health. They use real toothbrushes and toothpaste to clean the toy dinosaur's teeth. They use their hand-eye coordination to squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube and onto the brush. Children use magnifying glasses and tell staff that the dinosaurs have poorly teeth. Staff and children engage in meaningful conversations about the importance of brushing their teeth and visiting the dentist.
• Staff plan and implement weekly cooking and baking activities for the children. Children learn how to make pizza and about the ingredients they will use. Staff teach children about healthy foods and the benefits to the body, such as tomato puree containing vitamin A. However, staff do not always consider the length of such activities, which continue for long periods, meaning younger children lose interest.
• Stories are an integral part of the nursery curriculum. Children write letters to well-known authors, who then come to the nursery to read their published stories. Children show interest in story sequencing, competently using visual aids to retell familiar tales.
• Staff identify strengths and areas to develop within their practice. They implement novel ideas to help develop children's mark-making skills, such as helping children to write imaginary letters to 'Doctor Dolittle'. Children write about which animals they would like at nursery and vote for their favourite. Staff then provide children with real fish to care for.
• Overall, partnerships with parents are effective. Staff share regular information with parents about their child's development and provide support for families around various topics, such as breastfeeding and potty training. However, staff do not obtain enough information from parents about younger children's care routines, which, at times, affects children's sleep.
• Staff morale is high. The team members work well together and support each other. For instance, staff write positive recognition notes to their peers and display these on an achievement board. Leaders provide effective supervision and support for all staff.
• Children enjoy mathematical experiences. They go on walks with staff into the local community and talk about the shapes they see in the environment. When they arrive at the train station, staff and children talk about what they see, such as different numbers on the train timetables.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• adapt activities to help keep younger children consistently engaged
• gain further information from parents about children's care practices to support sleep routines.